Symptoms

Meningitis and septicaemia are often difficult to recognise at first as the early symptoms and signs of these two diseases can be mistaken for other, more common diseases.  Symptoms include:

• Headache
• Tiredness 
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever 
• Rapid breathing, diarrhoea and stomach cramps
• In babies the soft spot (fontanelle) on the top of the head may be tense or bulging
• As the disease progresses the patient may become confused or delirious and experience a declining level of consciousness, which can result in a coma.

A more easily identifiable sign is a haemorrhagic rash that does not fade under pressure; the rash is a sign of septicaemia, which commonly occurs alongside meningitis.  However, this rash will not occur in patients that have meningitis and not septicaemia.  The haemorrhagic rash is common with meningococcal infection and is caused by blood leaking into the tissues under the skin.  It begins as tiny red or purple spots that occur in clusters and may be anywhere on the body.  The rash then spreads quickly and the spots may become blotchy and look like small bruises.

Haemorrhagic rash can be identified using the tumbler test:

• Place a clear glass (tumbler) firmly on one of the spots or blotches. If the spots / blotches do not fade and you can still see them through the glass it is a haemorrhagic rash.

Symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia may appear in any order and some may not appear at all.

It is important that anyone with a suspected case of meningitis gets help immediately, even if they do not present with all the symptoms and signs of this disease.

The main signs and symptoms for babies and toddlers and for children and adults are outlined below.

Babies and toddlers 

• High temperature or fever, possibly with cold hands and feet
• Vomiting or refusing feeds
• High-pitched cry
• Blank, staring expression
• Pale, blotchy complexion
• ‘Floppiness’ and dislike of being handled
• Lethargy or reluctance to waken
• Tense or bulging fontanelle (soft spot on babies’ heads)
• Convulsions (fits or seizures).

Children and adults 

• High temperature, fever and shivering, possibly with cold hands and feet
• Vomiting, sometimes diarrhoea
• Severe headache
• Neck stiffness (unable to bend neck forwards, cannot touch chin to chest)
• Joint or muscle pains
• Stomach cramps may accompany septicaemia
• Dislike of bright lights
• Drowsiness and confusion
• Fits.