Page updated 30 April 2007
Viral Meningitis
Less sinister than bacterial meningitis but much more common. Diagnosis should first exclude (treatable) bacterial meningitis.
Spread
Although the viruses which cause these diseases tend to be highly infectious because the viruses are shed in respiratory secretions and/or faeces, they rarely cause detectable cross infection resulting in meningitis. This is because most contacts will have a mild respiratory infection and will not have meningitis. Viruses can be transmitted by the faecal-oral, the respiratory route or by direct or close contact.
Common Organisms
- Enteroviruses, particularly echoviruses which are most common in late summer; A different serotype predominates each year.
Other viruses such as:
- Coxsackie viruses (also enteroviruses)
- Mumps virus (often with encephalitis)
- Herpes simplex (particularly type 2)
- Varicella-zoster
can cause meningitis, sometimes alone but usually as part of the classic syndrome caused by each of these.
Management
- Source Isolate the patient.
- Notify disease.
- Inform Infection Control Team.
- Infection Control Team to inform CCDC and to ensure rapid diagnosis.
- Visitors need not wear protective clothing, but should be instructed to wash their hands using chlorhexidine gluconate (Hibiscrub) on leaving the room.
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