Viral meningitis

Viral meningitis must be distinguished from bacterial meningitis, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and requires urgent treatment including prompt antibiotics.

Early diagnosis of viral meningitis may allow antibiotics to be stopped and patients to be discharged from the hospital.

Viral meningitis is typically self-limited with no serious sequelae.

Infants, immunocompromised patients, and those infected with herpes viruses or arboviruses are more likely to have complications.

Viral meningitis is inflammation of the meninges caused by a variety of different viruses and is the most common cause of aseptic meningitis.