One of my coworkers was diagnosed with viral meningitis. Her symptoms started last Friday night. I was in her office last Thursday. I feel fine, just wondering if I could carry this to my mother who is in a nursing home.. I am suppose to go see her tomorrow but I don t want to make her sick. Just being cautious.
Hello, meningitis can be caused by various pathogens. Most of them are contagious - some more than others. Viruses are generally more contagious than bacteria. Contracting either a virus or a bacterium does not necessarily mean that the new host will get meningitis though. Many bacteria and viruses may cause a variety of infections. For example some viruses which usually cause gastroenteritis may also cause meningitis. Contracting such a virus from a patient with meningitis is more likely to present with gastroenteritis. In any case if you'd like to reduce the risk of transmission then you'd better avoid close contact with your mother. Identification of the virus will help a lot to determine the risk of transmission and to estimate the time you may be carrying the pathogen before you can be considered virus-free. I hope I've answered your question. Please let me know if you need further assistance. Kind Chat Doctor.