Meningococcal and meningitis are two terms that often come up during conversations about illnesses and diseases, but many people don’t actually know the differences between them. While they sound similar and both can be dangerous, there are in fact some key distinctions that set them apart. In this blog post, we will explore these differences to help you understand what sets each of them apart from one another – so you’ll know exactly how to take the proper precautions going forward. Let’s start by discussing what meningococcal is…
What is Meningococcal?
Meningococcal is a type of bacteria responsible for causing meningitis and other potentially fatal illnesses. Meningococcal infections usually affect infants and young children, but anyone can get them. Symptoms of Meningococcal may include fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, rash, vomiting, and sleepiness.
Meningococcal spreads through direct contact with the exchange of saliva or respiratory droplets from another infected person which is why vaccinations are so important in order to reduce the spread. While the Meningococcal vaccine is not 100% effective it still offers some protection against strains of this type of bacteria so it’s worth considering getting vaccinated if you haven’t already.
What is Meningitis?
Meningitis is a serious and potentially deadly infection that occurs when the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, known as the meninges, become inflamed. Meningitis is most commonly caused by bacterial or viral infections, although it can also be caused by other organisms such as fungi or even parasites.
Symptoms of Meningitis can be severe and may include an intense headache, high fever, stiff neck, nausea, confusion, and drowsiness. Meningitis can progress rapidly and without treatment, it may lead to much worse consequences including hearing loss, coma, and even death. It is important to take Meningitis symptoms seriously and act quickly in order to prevent further damage to the body or brain.
Difference between Meningococcal and Meningitis
Meningococcal and Meningitis are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they actually have very distinct meanings. Meningococcal is a type of bacterial infection caused by Neisseria Meningitidis and is the leading cause of Meningitis.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord which can have a variety of causes including Meningococcal or a viral infection, however, Meningococcal Meningitis is itself far more dangerous than other types. It’s important to know the difference between Meningococcal and Meningitis so you know how to address either situation if it arises.
Conclusion
Meningitis is an infection of the meninges, which are the thin membranes that surround and protect your brain and spinal cord. Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacterial infection with the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. Both illnesses can cause inflammation of the membranes around your brain and spinal cord (meningitis). Meningococcal disease can also lead to bloodstream infections (septicemia). Although meningitis can be caused by a number of different viruses, fungi, or parasites, bacterial infections are by far the most common type. Viral meningitis is usually less serious than bacterial meningitis. The vast majority of people who develop bacterial meningitis will recover from it, but there can be some long-term effects.
