What is the scientific name for spinal meningitis, or any type of meningitis for that matter?

Kathy Huddleson Responds:

The three main kinds of bacterial meningitis in the U.S. are:

• Meningococcal disease (Neisseria meningitidis)
  These are big words for one of the most devastating types of meningitis today. The disease is expressed as either meningococcal meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, or meningococcemia, the presence of bacteria in the blood. Meningococcal disease is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis for U.S. toddlers, adolescents and young adults.

  
  The five main serogroups (or types) of bacteria in the U.S. are A, B, C, Y and W-135, which cause more than 95 percent of meningococcal disease worldwide. The bacteria that cause meningococcal disease reside in the throats and nasal passages of approximately 15 percent of the general population. Researchers are unsure why the bacteria attacks some people while most of the population are not affected. However, there is a vaccine available for use in children and adults 2—55 years of age that offers protections against four of the five main serogroups of bacteria.
  
  For more information on meningococcal disease and prevention, click here.




• Pneumococcal meningitis (Streptococcus pneumoniae)
  This variety primarily attacks younger children. In 2000, the U.S. approved a new conjugate vaccine for young children. The vaccine is deemed to be very effective and safe. There is some misunderstanding about pneumococcal meningitis. Even though the CDC has published a recommended vaccination schedule, parents need to understand this disease can also kill older children.
  
  For more information on pneumococcal meningitis and prevention, click here.




• Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) disease
  Hib disease primarily attacks the very young, but it has nearly been eradicated in the U.S. since the introduction of infant vaccination programs against Hib in the mid-1980s.
  
  For more information on Hib disease and prevention, click here.