How contagious is meningitis?

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Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and has a high mortality rate if untreated.[5] All suspected cases, however mild, need emergency medical attention. Empiric antibiotics must be started immediately, even before the results of the lumbar puncture and CSF analysis are known. Antibiotics started within 4 hours of lumbar puncture will not significantly affect lab results.

The choice of antibiotic depends on local advice. In most of the developed world, the most common organisms involved are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis: first line treatment in the UK is a third-generation cephalosporin (such as ceftriaxone or cefotaxime). In those under 3 years of age, over 50 years of age, or immunocompromised, ampicillin should be added to cover Listeria monocytogenes. In the U.S. and other countries with high levels of penicillin resistance, the first line choice of antibiotics is vancomycin and a carbapenem (such as meropenem). In sub-Saharan Africa, oily chloramphenicol or ceftriaxone are often used because only a single dose is needed in most cases.

Staphylococci and gram-negative bacilli are common infective agents in patients who have just had a neurosurgical procedure. Again, the choice of antibiotic depends on local patterns of infection: cefotaxime and ceftriaxone remain good choices in many situations, but ceftazidime is used when Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a problem, and intraventricular vancomycin is used for those patients with intraventricular shunts because of high rates of staphylococcal infection. In patients with intracerebral prosthetic material (metal plates, electrodes or implants, etc.) then sometimes chloramphenicol is the only antibiotic that will adequately cover infection by Staphylococcus aureus (cephalosporins and carbapenems are inadequate under these circumstances).

Once the results of the CSF analysis are known along with the Gram-stain and culture, empiric therapy may be switched to therapy targeted to the specific causative organisms. Because antibiotic-resistance is a prevalent problem, information from drug susceptibility testing should also be gathered.

Neisseria meningitidis (Meningococcus) can usually be treated with a 7-day course of IV antibiotics:
Penicillin-sensitive -- penicillin G or ampicillin
Penicillin-resistant -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime
Prophylaxis for close contacts (contact with oral secretions) -- rifampin 600 mg bid for 2 days (adults) or 10 mg/kg bid (children). Rifampin is not recommended in pregnancy and as such, these patients should be treated with single doses of ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, or ceftriaxone
Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pneumococcus) can usually be treated with a 2-week course of IV antibiotics:
Penicillin-sensitive -- penicillin G
Penicillin-intermediate -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime
Penicillin-resistant -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime + vancomycin
Listeria monocytogenes is treated with a 3-week course of IV ampicillin + gentamicin.
Gram negative bacilli -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime
Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- ceftazidime
Staphylococcus aureus
Methicillin-sensitive -- nafcillin
Methicillin-resistant -- vancomycin
Streptococcus agalactiae -- penicillin G or ampicillin
Haemophilus influenzae -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime


I really hope that this will help, and ofcourse, that you will feel better soon.
Go and visit a doctor again, have them make more tests and figure out how to treat your meningitis, coz it seems that antibiotics aren't helping you.

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You need to discuss this with your doctor as it is a highly contagious disease.

I would also suggest seeing a specialist or another doctor since this infection is recurring and may need further diagnosis.

Good luck.

Bacterial meningitis is a more severe form of the infection. If it isn't treated promptly, it can cause brain damage and, in some circumstances, even death. The most common bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. People can spread them through throat and respiratory secretions - for example, by coughing. After a person is started on antibiotic treatment for meningitis, the infection can still be spread to others for at least 24 hours.

Washing your hands really well and often is one way to defend against meningitis and other infections. Also, really think about it when you are out and about. Think of all the things that you touch that someone else could have just touched after they sneezed in or coughed in their hand. Door handles, phones, light switches, toilet handles, shopping carts... the list is endless.

Making sure all of your surroundings in your home are fresh and clean and wiped down with disinfectant if they aren't something that can be thrown in the wash needs to be done as well. Especially things like bedding, towels...

Public places like schools, shopping malls and public transportation are the perfect breeding ground for these kind of viruses to be spread.

Perhaps visiting a different doctor and explaining what is going on would be a good idea. Also, they have loads of pamphlets on these kinds of subjects if just speaking to the doctor isn't all the information you need.