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WHAT IS TUBERCULOSIS MENINGITIS?

Tuberculosis (TB) meningitis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which leads to the condition in just one-to-two per cent of infected people.

It affects between 150 and 200 people every year in the UK and US.

Between 15 and 30 per cent of sufferers die despite receiving treatment. 

Of those who survive, at least 20 per cent experience long-term complications, such as brain damage.

Early symptoms include aches and pains, loss of appetite, fatigue, and a persistent headache. 

After several weeks, these develop into more specific meningitis symptoms, such as dislike of bright lights and neck stiffness.

TB meningitis is caused by bacteria entering the body via droplet inhalation, for instance from an infected person coughing or sneezing.

If the bacteria travel to the meninges, which are the protective layers over the brain, it can cause TB meningitis; even years after the initial infection.

Treatment varies according to the patient but takes place in hospital.

A BCG vaccine against TB is offered to at-risk people in the UK. 

Source: Meningitis Now 

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