Although it can be very serious, fungal meningitis is also very rare, and it is not contagious.
(1,2)
What Causes Fungal Meningitis?
(3,4)
Can You Get Meningitis From Candida?
albicansare the most common causes of fungal meningitis.
What Is Cryptococcal Meningitis?
Cryptococcus neoformansis a fungus that is found naturally in the environmentoften in soil and decaying woodand in bird droppings.
But only in very rare cases will someone with a healthy immune system develop cryptococcal meningitis.
(5)
What Is Histoplasma Meningitis?
Histoplasmais usually harmless in people with normal immune systems.
What Is Coccidioidal Meningitis?
The fungus can cause an infection known as valley fever, which affects the lungs and causes flu-like symptoms.
Similar to other fungal infections, it usually starts as a respiratory infection.
This infection can occasionally lead to meningitis.
What is known is that in California, valley fever rates have been steadily on the rise since 1998.
(10)
Theres no foolproof way to protect against this fungus.
What Is Blastomycotic Meningitis?
LikeCoccidioides,Blastomycescan (very rarely) cause meningitis when its spores are inhaled.
And likeHistoplasma,Blastomycescan causes an infection in this case blastomycosis that can progress to meningitis.
What Are the Symptoms of Fungal Meningitis?
How Do You Treat Fungal Meningitis?
There are no vaccines that prevent fungal meningitis.
Additional reporting by Carlene Bauer.
She is board-certified in both internal medicine and infectious diseases.
She also teaches medical trainees and lectures medical students at the Emory University School of Medicine.
Joseph Bennington-Castro is a science writer based in Hawaii.
Additional Sources
Meningitis
Meningitis Treatment and Prevention
What Is Bacterial Meningitis?
