Staying Well

The recent 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak posed a new learning and treatment opportunity for doctors, researchers and patients.Fungal meningitis is a type of meningitis caused by a fungal infection in your body that spreads through your blood and into your spinal cord. Any person is at risk for fungal meningitis; but if you have a weakened immune system due to surgeries, other diseases or medications, your chances of getting fungal meningitis drastically increase.Fungal meningitis is not contagious and therefore cannot be passed from person to person. But it can have serious symptoms that are often misdiagnosed or looked over.Why are fungal infections so challenging to diagnose and treat?Fungal meningitis can be a challenge for physicians to diagnose since the symptoms are very similar to other common illnesses like the flu. Symptoms can include a fever, headache, nausea and vomiting.However, if you suspect meningitis you can have samples of your blood or cerebro-spinal fluid tested.Recently, there have been