can meningitis cause a person to go into a coma?

Sue Burd responds:

Meningitis can cause a person to go into a coma. There are different types of meningitis – viral meningitis, which is caused by a virus, and bacterial meningitis, which is caused by one of several types and strains of bacteria. The bacterial form of meningitis is extremely dangerous, and fast moving. Left untreated, the disease can progress rapidly, often within hours of the first symptoms, and can lead to shock, death or serious complications, including hearing loss, brain damage, kidney disease or limb amputations.

Sue