Meningitis and septicaemia are serious diseases that can prove fatal. Meningitis is an infection of the membranes around the brain and spine and septicaemia is poisoning of the blood.

While symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia can be similar, patients with septicaemia may also have limb and/or joint pain, cold hands and feet with pale or blotchy skin.

Anyone can get meningitis and septicaemia but children are much more likely to suffer than adults, as their immune systems are still developing.  Use the ‘Symptoms Checker’ below to rollover and reveal meningitis and septicaemia, symptoms and signs.

The information outlined above reflect current NHS Choices recommendations

In the UK, the two most common forms of bacterial meningitis are meningococcal disease (caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis) and pneumococcal disease (caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcal bacteria).

Pneumococcal bacteria has many different strains or types that can cause a number of conditions such as meningitis and septicaemia, acute otitis media (infection of the middle ear) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs).

Both bacteria (Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae) can also cause septicaemia.

To check whether a patient may be at greater risk of developing meningitis and septicaemia click here.

Did you know?

• Meningitis can kill in under 4 hours
• About 1 in 10 people with meningitis will die from the disease
• Every year, about 3,000 people in the UK are affected by all types of bacterial meningitis