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Neonatal meningitis is a serious medical condition in infants that is rapidly fatal if untreated.Meningitis, an inflammation of the meninges, the protective membranes of the central nervous system, is more common in the neonatal period (infants less than 44 days old) than any other time in life, and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally.
Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis, while encephalitis with involvement of the spinal cord is known as encephalomyelitis. [ 2 ] The word is from Ancient Greek ἐγκέφαλος , enképhalos 'brain', [ 37 ] composed of ἐν , en , 'in' and κεφαλή , kephalé , 'head', and the medical suffix -itis 'inflammation'.
CNS herpes is an infection of the nervous system and the brain that can lead to encephalitis. Infants with CNS herpes present with seizures , tremors , lethargy , and irritability. They feed poorly, have unstable temperatures, and their fontanelle (soft spot of the skull) may bulge.
Aseptic meningitis, meningitis caused by pathogens other than bacteria, is the most common form of meningitis with an estimate of 70 cases per 100,000 patients less than 1 year old, 5.2 cases per 100,000 patients 1 to 14 years of age, and 7.6 cases per 100,000 adults.
Infants with encephalitis often have seizures or other abnormal movements. Infants with severe encephalitis may become lethargic and comatose and then die. To make the diagnosis of meningitis or the diagnosis of encephalitis, doctors do a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for laboratory analysis in children. [6]
It can cause impairments to the cranial nerves, paralysis to the eyes, and sudden hearing loss. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] Meningoencephalitis is a rare, late-stage manifestation of tick-borne ricksettial diseases, such as RMSF and human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (HME), caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis (a species of rickettsiales bacteria).
Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation's proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore, the condition is classified as a medical emergency. [2] [8] A lumbar puncture, in which a needle is inserted into the spinal canal to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), can diagnose or exclude meningitis. [1] [8]
Rarely, treated individuals can have relapse of infection weeks to months later. There is evidence that aberrant inflammation triggered by herpes simplex can result in granulomatous inflammation in the brain, which responds to steroids. [16] While the herpes virus can be spread, encephalitis itself is not infectious.