Clinical features of patients with meningitis vary depending on the cause, disease course (acute, subacute or chronic), brain involvement (meningo-encephalitis) and systemic complications (e.g., sepsis).
Common symptoms of meningitis are neck stiffness, fever, confusion or altered mental status, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
Less frequent symptoms are seizures, coma and neurological deficits (for example hearing or vision loss, cognitive impairment, or weakness of the limbs).
Types of meningitis caused by viruses or bacteria can have similar symptoms. Symptoms may be stronger in some types of meningitis than in others and require different treatment.
Bacterial meningitis pathogens can cause other symptoms as a result of bloodstream infections (septicaemia), which can quickly lead to sepsis, including:

  • Cold Hands And Feet
  • Joint And Muscle Pains
  • Breathing Faster Than Usual
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dark Purple Or Red Rash.
  • Babies Sometimes Have Different Symptoms Than Adults:
  • Being less active and difficult to wake
  • Being irritable or inconsolable
  • Poor feeding
  • Stiff or floppy body
  • Swelling in the soft spot in their head (fontanelle).
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Meningitis and septicaemia symptoms in babies

Early symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia (the blood poisoning form of meningitis, sometimes referred to as sepsis) can be like other childhood illnesses, but a baby will usually get ill quickly and get worse fast. That’s why it’s so important to check a baby often.

The symptoms to watch out for are:
  • Tense or bulging soft spot on the forehead
  • High temperature (warning - could be normal or low in babies under three months)
  • Very sleepy / staring expression / too sleepy to wake up
  • Breathing fast / difficulty breathing
  • Extreme shivering
  • 'Pin prick' rash / marks or purple bruises anywhere on the body
  • Diarrhoea (though only sometimes)
  • Unusual grunting sounds
  • Vomiting / refusing to feed
  • Irritable when picking up, with a high pitched or moaning cry
  • Blotchy skin, getting paler or turning blue
  • A stiff body with jerky movements or else floppy and lifeless
  • Pain / irritability from muscle aches or severe limb / joint pain
  • Cold hands and feet
Meningitis And Septicaemia Symptoms In Toddlers

In young children, the first symptoms of meningitis are usually fever, vomiting, headache and feeling unwell. Limb pain, pale skin, and cold hands and feet often appear earlier than a rash, neck stiffness and dislike of bright lights and confusion.

  • Fever and / or vomiting
  • Severe headache
  • Limb / joint / muscle pain (sometimes with stomach pain/diarrhoea)
  • Cold hand and feet / shivering
  • Pale or mottled skin
  • Rash (anywhere on the body)
  • Stiff neck (less common in young children)
  • Dislike of bright lights (less common in young children)
  • Very sleepy / vacant / difficult to wake
  • Confused / delirious
  • Seizures (fits)
  • Other symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia to be aware of in toddlers are:
  • A tense or bulging soft spot on their forehead.
  • Refusing to feed.
  • Irritable when picked up, with a high pitched or moaning cry.
  • A stiff body with jerky movements, or else floppy and lifeless.
Meningitis symptoms in teenagers and young adults

Meningitis and septicaemia: the symptoms to watch out for in teenagers and young adults

  • Fever and / or vomiting
  • Severe headache
  • Limb / joint / muscle pain (sometimes with stomach pain/diarrhoea)
  • Cold hand and feet / shivering
  • Pale
  • Breathing fast / breathless
  • Rash
  • Stiff neck
  • Dislike of bright lights
  • Very sleepy / difficult to wake
  • Confused / delirious
  • Seizures (fits)
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