Careful hand-washing is important to avoiding exposure to infectious agents.

Newborns and infants may not have the classic signs and symptoms of headache and stiff neck.

Viral meningitis may improve without treatment, but bacterial meningitis is serious, can come on very quickly and requires prompt antibiotic treatment to improve the chances of a recovery. Delaying treatment for bacterial meningitis increases the risk of permanent brain damage or death.

There's no way to know what kind of meningitis you or your child has without seeing your doctor and undergoing spinal fluid testing.

it can be a life-threatening emergency requiring urgent antibiotic treatment