Professor talks bacterial infection leading to meningitis - Spectrum News

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Meningitis is the inflammation of the linings of the spinal cord and the brain, and can be due to a number of things. Doctors say not all of the causes are infections, but the ones we're always most concerned about are infectious because they progress rapidly due to a virus or bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued an alert to doctors about an increase in invasive meningococcal disease. 

Experts say there are three to four bacteria that commonly cause meningitis over the years, but cases declined due to good vaccines. Now, there's an increase in cases of one of the types because people have not received or completed vaccinations for it.

Dr. John Sellick, faculty expert on infectious disease at the University at Buffalo, says the infections that we're seeing right now are not all meningitis — some of them are reactions to sepsis, when the meningococcal bacteria gets in the bloodstream and causes symptoms or infections in joints.

That's separate from the diagnosis of meningitis, but Sellick says cases of meningitis start with the invasion of the bloodstream and then it depends on where the bacteria goes. He says the meningococcal bacteria can do enough damage on its own in the bloodstream, but then if it winds up in the membrane that lines our nervous system, then it's a meningitis diagnosis. 

"I think what the CDC and the state health department and other organizations have done has been to remind everyone that's how serious this is," said Sellick. "Because, again, we're in an era of, you know, someone, my age, I saw a lot of meningitis early in my career, but now we have many practitioners who are younger who may never have seen a case of meningitis."

The patients that doctors are seeing come in with symptoms from the bacteria infection often have altered immune systems — some who are elderly, some with HIV and some young people as well. The symptoms really depend on where the bacteria is.

Sellick assures that this is generally not something that's going to spread like how COVID-19 did, with thousands of cases in a week. But although the number of cases due to the meningococcal bacteria are small, they are quite severe. That's why he says if you're in a group of immunosuppressed patients, check with your doctor about your vaccine needs.

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