As a medical expert, I'd like to delve into the intricacies of how people contract bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that affects the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known as the meninges. It is typically caused by the invasion of the meninges by bacteria that are usually harmless when they reside elsewhere in the body.

The most common bacteria that cause meningitis are *Neisseria meningitidis*, *Streptococcus pneumoniae*, *Haemophilus influenzae* type b, and in some cases, *Listeria monocytogenes*. These bacteria are often part of the normal flora of the human body, residing in the nasopharynx without causing any sympread more >>

Most meningitis is caused by bacteria and viruses that often live in our bodies. Usually these germs stay in the intestines or in the nose and throat, where they may or may not make us sick. But if they spread to the tissues (meninges ) that surround the brain and spinal cord, they cause inflammation.read more >>