Student: Christine Brandenburg

Instructor: Dr. Steven Weiss

Course: CMST 101
Title: Meningitis
Specific Purpose: To inform my classmates just how dangerous meningitis can be.
Central Idea: The causes and effects of meningitis.

Introduction
I. Have you ever thought about what would happen if you had meningitis a
nd just how severe it is?
II. Well, today im going to explain what meningitis is and just how seve
re it can be because we as college students are more susceptible due to living i
n dorms and attending a new school.

Body
I. Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain
and spinal cord. It can be bacterial or viral.
II. Bacterial meningitis is caused by several types of bacteria residing
in the throat or nose of about 15% of the general population. There are three m
ain types of bacterial meningitis.
A. The first type is Neisseria meningitidis or as we would say,
Meningococcal disease which is the most common cause of meningitis among young a
dults. The Menactra vaccine provides long-term protection against four of five t
ypes of meningococcal disease.
B. The second type is Pneumococcal meningitis which mainly attac
ks younger children. In the year 2000, the US approved a vaccine for younger chi
ldren as safe and effective.
C. The third type is Hib which attacks infants but for the most
part has been wiped out since the 1980's due to infant vaccination programs. Neo
natal meningitis is caused by Hib and occurs in the first month of life and has
a high risk of after effects.
III. According to the CDC, there are about 3,000 cases annually. Young a
dults and children account for about 30% of these cases which can be prevented.
About 10-12% of these cases are fatal and 20% suffer long term effects.
IV. Prevention of meningitis is simple because the bacteria that cause i
t can't survive outside the body.
A. Unlike viral, bacterial meningitis can't linger on surfaces o
r in the air. Bacterial meningitis is spread through direct contact such as kiss
ing a carrier of the bacteria which attach to the nose or throat and multiplty.
Then the bacteria can penetrate the mucus lining and enter the bloodstream.
B. So something as simple as washing your hands and not sharing
items that touch your mouth prevent spreading the disease.
C. Scientists are unsure why some peolpe can carry the disease w
ithout getting sick and as for some of us the bacteria overcome our body's immun
e defences.
V. Now, you are probably wondering what the symptoms are?
A. The so called red flag symptom is a stiff neck.
B. Common symptoms are flu like symptoms such as a sudden high f
ever, vomiting, and light sensitivity.
C. A rash can occur. You can also feel sleepy or delirious and e
xperience seizures.
VI. Meningitis can be treated with antibiotics such as penicillin but if
left untreated it can lead to organ damage, kidney disease, hearing loss, brain
damage, and even limb amputation due to gangrene. The antibiotic will also be g
iven to those in close contact to the sick person to prevent spreading the disea
se.

Conclusion
I. I hope that you learned enough from this speech to better understand
meningitis and be able to recognize the symptoms so that you can get help fast i
f needed.
Bibliography
National Meningitis Association, 2008.The National Meningitis Association, Inc.
7 Oct. 2008 <http://www.nmaus.org/meningitis>
Understand Meningitis and Septicaemia, 10 September 2008. 2008 Meningitis Resear
ch Foundation. 7 Oct. 2008 <http://www.meningitis.org>