Sir, - The Irish Times recently carried a report about cases of meningitis in Majorca. The Meningitis Research Foundation provides information about the disease for parents, because knowing the signs and symptoms of meningitis is vital. However, we also believe that an understanding of how the disease is spread can help allay some of parents' fears.
At any one time, one in 10 of us will carry the bacteria which can cause meningitis. We carry them in the back of the nose and throat and regularly pass them on to one another through very close contact, such as kissing for example.
In the vast majority of people these bacteria will not cause any serious infection, but in a tiny proportion they will overcome the body's immune defences and enter the blood stream. Once in the blood the bacteria can cause meningitis, the inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, or, meningococcal septicaemia, a type of blood poisoning.
At present scientists do not fully understand what makes these normally harmless bacteria cause meningitis in a very few individuals. However, the Meningitis Research Foundation is currently funding research which aims to help scientists answer this and other questions about the disease.
Although there are still gaps in scientific understanding of meningitis, the disease can be successfully treated using antibiotics, which are most successful if given early on in the development of the infection. That is why knowing the signs and symptoms of meningitis is important.
A leaflet called "A Race Against Time" which clearly describes the different signs and symptoms of meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to: Race Against Time, Meningitis Research Foundation, 29 Springwell Street, Ballymena BT43 6AT. - Yours etc., NI Co-ordinator, Meningitis Research Foundation, Springwell Street, Ballymena.