Q - What are the causes of spinal meningitis?

A - The causes of spinal meningitis are numerous. To make it easier to understand, I would discuss them as 3 groups:

Bacterial causes - These micro-organisms cause the most severe forms of meningitis. Common bacteria that cause meningitis include Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Nieserria Meningitidis, Listeria Monocytogenes and Staphylococcus Aureus.

A special kind of bacteria known as Mycobacteria also cause meningitis. The most common of the Mycobacteria is Mycobacterium tuberculosis which causes Tuberculous meningitis.

Viral Causes - Viral causes of meningitis include Entero-viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, Arbovirus, Herpes viruses, Cyto-megalovirus, and Varicella-zoster virus.

Other causes - These include micro-organisms like Fungi and Rickettsia, and other causes like chemical compounds, vaccinations and malignancies.

Answered - March, 2007