Your baby can get meningitis when bacteria, viruses, or a fungus infecting another part of their body travels in the bloodstream to their brain and spinal cord.
If this develops, its appearance can depend on the specific virus or bacterium that is causing the infection.
In countries with high rates of immunization coverage, viral meningitis is more common than bacterial meningitis, with an estimated 3 to 18% of childhood meningitis being bacterial in origin.