The various causes of meningitis disease vary depending on the type. For instance, meningitis B is a bacterial infection caused by the neisseria meningitidis virus. This infection affects the brain and spinal cord, which may cause life-threatening swelling. Additionally, the virus can spread through the bloodstream quite rapidly.
Meningitis B tends to live inside the nose and throat of an infected individual or a carrier. The bacterium spreads mainly through direct touch with infected individuals, or through air transmission after an infected individual coughs or sneezes.
Meningitis B mostly affects teens and young adults between the ages of 16 through 23-years old. College and university-aged students are especially at risk due to the following factors:

1. Living in close quarters
Cohabitation significantly contributes to the spread of the bacteria. Usually, the close quarters created in college and university dorms and military barracks pose the most risk, particularly if these areas have poor ventilation. As such, infected individuals who sneeze or cough are likely to infect other uninfected persons.

2. Sharing drinks or utensils
The most common way meningitis B infection spreads is through contact with saliva or droplets from the nose and throat. As such, sharing drinks and utensils creates potential for exposure from one individual to another via saliva, increasing the risk of infection and spread.

3. Kissing an infected person
Sharing respiratory and throat secretions is one of the most common ways through which meningitis B is transmitted to other individuals. Kissing is a major way to exchange these secretions, which is why meningitis B is often referred to as “kissing disease”.

4. Sharing cigarettes or vape pens
Vaping provides an alternate method of obtaining the same results as smoking, kissing or sharing drinks and utensils. Individuals who vape using e-cigarettes or vape pens have a high chance of transmitting the bacteria between them. This happens when the smokers share cigarettes or vape pens with infected persons. Additionally, these activities weaken the lungs and throat, putting you at greater risk of the illness.

5. Coughing and sneezing openly
As per the above discussions, meningitis bacteria may be found in the throat secretions of an infected individual, such as phlegm and saliva. When that individual coughs or sneezes, the infection can easily spread through the air to an uninfected person.

6. Risk factors
In addition to age, meningitis B is based on the following risk factors:

• Underlying medical conditions: Patients with certain medical conditions, such as functional or anatomic asplenia, sickle cell disease, and HIV are especially susceptible to meningitis B infection and should be vaccinated.
• Patients taking certain medications: For example, patients with kidney disease, taking complement inhibitors (i.e., Eculizumab).
• Surgeries: Patients who have had their spleen surgically removed. The spleen is a vital organ for fighting meningococcal infections.
• Work environments: Certain work environments increase the spread of the virus. For instance, microbiologists who are consistently exposed to microorganisms that cause meningitis are at an elevated risk of contracting the disease.

During the early stages, patients may experience telltale symptoms of meningitis B, that imitate the flu. These symptoms may manifest themselves over a few hours or days after infection. Other telltale symptoms of meningitis B include:

• Light sensitivity
• Skin rashes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Severe headache
• Seizures

To learn more about the risk factors for meningitis B and why vaccination against meningitis B is important, please watch these helpful videos or download the info pages at https://www.meningitisb.com/risk.html.