Parasitic Meningitis and Related Factors

Introduction:

Meningitis is characterized as an infection and inflammation of the fluid and membranes encircling the spinal cord and the brain. The membranes involved are called meninges. There are several parasites that can cause meningitis or may affect the brain or nervous system in many ways. Meningitis caused due to parasites is known as parasitic meningitis. Generally, parasitic meningitis is slightly less common than bacterial and viral meningitis. Parasitic meningitis is a very rare form of meningitis disease. In various cases, the parasites responsible for parasitic meningitis infect animals mainly. The person who eats the meat of such infected animals gets transmitted by parasitic meningitis. A parasite is elaborated as an organism that lives within or on something. This thing serves as its host, and the parasite feeds on its host to survive. Parasites are extremely small organisms that are not visible to the naked human eye and may evolve into long worms as they get stronger from feeding and multiplying on their host. The parasite in itself is not a disease, but it has the potential to cause and outspread diseases such as meningitis.

What Is Parasitic Meningitis?

Meninges are described as the shielding layers of the nervous system encompassing the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is an inflammation of these protective layers. Meningitis can be caused due to various organisms. Meningitis caused by a parasitic medium is called parasitic meningitis. This type of meningitis is not seen normally and is rare. Parasites are organisms that live on a host and benefit from the nutrients from the host for multiplying and growing. There are some particular parasites responsible for parasitic meningitis. Following are the names of the parasites that can affect human health:

• Ectoparasites: Protozoa are defined as single-celled organisms that can multiply in humans. These parasites can spread by consuming contaminated food and water, person-to-person contact, and bites from insects.

• Helminths: Helminths are defined as parasitic worms that usually take root in a digestive tract of a person. These parasites do not have the ability to multiply or divide within a human body and, at last, pass through a stool of a person.

• Protozoa: Ectoparasites are defined as small organisms that live on the outside of the body. These include fleas, ticks, and lice. These types of parasites do not constitute the parasites that cause parasitic meningitis. They are responsible for causing diseases such as Lyme disease.

There are three parasites that are known to cause parasitic meningitis. Following are the names of the parasites that are responsible for parasitic meningitis;

• Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

• Baylisascaris procyonis.

• Gnathostoma spinigerum.

Parasitic meningitis is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from person to person. It can only be caused by ingesting a parasite. If the parasites are infectious or carry eggs that are infected, then the person is likely to become infected with parasitic meningitis. A person catches parasitic meningitis if they ingest a parasite that causes the disease in the body.

What Causes Parasitic Meningitis?

The most common cause of parasitic meningitis is a parasite called an amoeba that is also known as Naegleria fowleri. This is the organism that causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), which can be fatal in almost all cases. This type of parasite is seen in fresh warm water, such as rivers, ponds, lakes, and poorly maintained pools with inadequate or no chlorine. However, a specific factor about this type of meningitis is that it cannot be caught when it enters through the mouth and can only be caught by entering the body through the nose. The parasite moves up the nose, where it enters the brain and targets the tissues of the brain. The three parasites which are common in the tropical areas mentioned above are common causes of parasitic meningitis.

What Are the Various Types of Meningitis?

Bacterial and viral infections are the most common causes of meningitis. There are various other forms of meningitis. Following are the various types of meningitis:

• Viral Meningitis: Viral meningitis is one of the most commonly seen forms of meningitis. Viruses from the category of enterovirus cause more than 50 percent of cases of meningitis in adults and more than 60 percent of cases of meningitis in infants. Other viruses, like the west nile virus, influenza, mumps, etc, can also cause viral meningitis.

• Bacterial Meningitis: This form of meningitis is contagious and spreads through contact. Certain bacteria may cause an infection that leads to bacterial meningitis. This type of meningitis can be life-threatening. Two of every 10 patients die every year, and four of every 10 patients have serious health complications. Streptococcus pneumoniae and staphylococcus aureus are some of the most common bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis.

• Fungal Meningitis: Fungal meningitis is very rare among the types of meningitis. It is caused by a fungus that infects the body and then spreads from the bloodstream to the brain or spinal cord. Cryptococcus and histoplasma are some examples of fungi that cause fungal meningitis.

• Parasitic Meningitis: This type of meningitis is more uncommon than viral or bacterial meningitis, and it is caused by parasites that are seen in dirt, feces, and on some animals and food, like raw fish, poultry, etc. This type of meningitis does not pass from person to person.

• Non-infectious Meningitis: Non-infectious meningitis is not a type of infection. Rather, it is a type of meningitis that is caused by other medical conditions or treatments. For example:- Lupus, cancer, or head injury.

• Chronic Meningitis: This type is stated for meningitis which lasts longer than four weeks. The causes of chronic meningitis can be rheumatological conditions, fungi, and cancer, among others.

What Are the Symptoms of Parasitic Meningitis?

People suffering from parasitic meningitis may have the following symptoms:

• Stiff neck.

• Photophobia (sensitivity towards light).

• Altered mental state.

• Vomiting and nausea.

• Headache.

Severe complications include the following:

• Loss of coordination or muscle control.

• Paralysis.

• Weakness.

• Permanent disability.

• Coma.

• Death.

How Is Parasitic Meningitis Diagnosed?

If meningitis is suspected, samples of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) and blood are collected and dispatched for laboratory testing to examine for evidence of infection from these parasites and to cancel out other causes. It usually is difficult to find these parasites in the CSF or in other regions of the body. But the person’s travel or exposure history can provide helpful clues. Also along with it, the findings of clinical examinations, laboratory testing, and scans are also examined.

How Is Parasitic Meningitis Treated?

There is no specific treatment for meningitis caused by the parasites. Pain can be managed by using analgesics for headaches. Medications can also be used to decrease the body’s reaction to the parasite instead of for the infection itself. Nevertheless, treatment for the infection can help some people.

Conclusion:

As mentioned in the article, parasitic meningitis does not spread from person to person. Parasitic meningitis can be prevented by following a few measures in day-to-day life, such as avoiding swimming in unchlorinated water, not eating raw snails and slugs, washing hands after touching animals and after gardening, and ensuring washing vegetables before using them and cleaning water tanks from time-to-time. These measures, if followed by everyone, may help in preventing infection of parasitic meningitis.