Meningitis
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain. It has many different causes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoans. An estimated 98% of the cases are caused by three bacterium, only one of which (Neisseria meningitidis) can cause an epidemic. Fatality rates range from 5% to 40%, depending on the type of meningitis.
Symptoms of the disease include a stiff neck, headaches, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, and coma. The disease can be treated with antibiotics or prevented entirely with a vaccine.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is expecting more than 140,000 cases of meningitis this year in Africa, leading to more than 15,000 deaths. The vast majority of these cases are expected to be in the "meningitis belt" of the African continent—the sub-Saharan band that stretches from Senegal on the west coast to Ethiopia on the east coast.
