Mening It Is: What To Do

This serious inflammation is more common in adults than you think.

- Samantha Rideout

MENINGITIS ISN’T A SINGLE disease but rather a symptom—it refers to swelling (“-itis”) in the membranes (“meninges”) that surround your brain and spinal cord. “It can be caused by a series of pathogens, including meningococcus, pneumococcus and haemophilus influenzae,” says Mike Catchpole, chief scientist at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Young children carry the highest risk of contraction because their immune systems don’t have a lot of practice fighting off infections, but adults— seniors in particular—can get meningitis, too.