Brad Pitt treated for meningitis
 

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movi...eut/index.html

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Film star Brad Pitt was released on Wednesday from a Los Angeles hospital where he had been admitted for a flu-like illness that turned out to be viral meningitis, his spokeswoman has said.

Pitt, 41, was at home on Wednesday afternoon after his discharge and was "doing well," his publicist said in a statement.

The actor checked in to Cedars Sinai Medical Center on Monday night, a week after returning from a trip to East Africa.

Spokeswoman Cindy Guagenti said on Tuesday that the actor was undergoing tests but was believed to be suffering from influenza.

After his release, her office issued a statement saying Pitt "was diagnosed with a mild case of viral meningitis."

No further information about his condition was offered.

Viral meningitis is an illness that involves inflammation of the tissues covering the brain and spinal cord.

It is generally regarded as serious but is rarely fatal in persons with normal immune systems.

Pitt, who split up with his wife, actress Jennifer Aniston, earlier this year, traveled to Ethiopia last week with actress Angelina Jolie, his co-star in the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," who went there to finalize the adoption of a baby girl.

Wow. Isn't anything confidential these days?

Well, I'm not aware of whether he uses one ply or two ply. :o

Meningitis hurts like hell, so I feel for him......

Viral meningitis isn't terribly serious, but bacterial meningitis freaks me out. If it isn't treated with antibiotics promptly -- sometimes within hours of the onset of symptoms -- the patient can go into a coma & die.

Watch out for high fever, headache & stiff nick.

When I was in middle school, two kids got bacterial meningitis in one week, which was a big thing because it was a school of only 500 students. They rounded all of us up into the auditorium and gave us memos to bring home that our parents were to bring to the pharmacy to get the antibiotics as a precaution. I remember going with my mother to pick them up that night and having to wait for almost three hours because everyone and their brother was at CVS trying to get their script filled. We all thought it was pretty darn cool because the pills made us pee in different colors (red, orange, green, etc.).

Bwah!
 

We had a scare last year at UB. Girl was hospitalized with what they THOUGHT might be bacterial meningitis. So we came in to work at like midnight to dole out antibiotics to kids that came into direct contact with her.

Of course she had to be promiscuous party girl, so there were about 30 people that she had either had sex with, made out with, shared a drink or cig with, etc within 2 weeks prior. Plus the other 70 people that showed up saying "well, my friend's friend was at a party with her, do I need meds?" Um, no, please go home.

After all that, she didn't have it. At least I got OT pay.

He shouldn't have been trolloping around with Homewrecker-Jolie. Seriously though, that is a painful illness- hope Brad is doing well.

What exactly is a *mild* case of viral menningitis? I didn't really know there was such a thing. Don't you either have it or not have it? :shrug: (Similar to a mild case of pregnancy. :laugh: ) Of course I didn't know too much about it at all until one of my daughters developed it earlier this year. She spent a week in the hospital, missed weeks of school, and literaly took months to recover. Evidently they know how to test for only a very few of the viruses, (herpes is one) and in all likelyhood you never know what the exact virus is. Most of our family had contracted the flu, and for some reason her 'flu virus' advanced into mennengitis. Whichever 'strain' of flu virus was most likely the culprit. The did cultures, but basically to determine if it was one of the viruses that they know how to treat...which are the 'worst' virues, btw. (They said the herpes one caused bleeding in the spinal/brain fluid.) :(

As far as determining she had it in the first place, she was originally treated and released (for severe headaches and slurred speech) from our local ER, and was in the university hospital for 2 days having every neurological test you can imagine...about to begin testing for chronic migranes since she never ran a fever or displayed any signs of a stiff or sore neck. (She would do nothing but sleep in total darkness because her head hurt so bad.) Her speech was badly slurred and slow...like a stroke victim. Thank Heavens the neurologist decided to try the spinal tap in order to definately "rule it out".

She is 100% back to normal now, thank God. She has gained back most of the 11 pounds she lost. Her speech is back to normal, although that did take a bit longer. That really had me concerned for a while. Viral is rarely fatal but it is still a very miserable thing to have and is extremely painful. I didn't know the difference between bacterial and viral before this and have discovered that most others don't either. Evidnetly *bacterial* is highly contagious. (Of course the virus is also contagious, but most people only get the flu from it. At least that's the way it was explained to us.)

I normally don't like to spill a lot of personal things about my children, but in this instance I felt it might be beneficial for someone else, given the fact that my daughter had it with no fever or stiff neck. We could have saved her a week or more of misery had she displayed the "normal" symptoms and been tested sooner.

Kelly :)

Kelly,

So glad your daughter is OK now. It's a scary disease.

Viral is more common, usually not as serious as bacterial. Only about 3000 people in the US get bacterial meningitis every year, but around 20% of all those infected will die. Another 10-20% have long term effects (loss of hearing, brain damage, loss of limbs, seizures.)

Thank you Paula. Yeah, it was a scary experience. I had no idea that so many died and/or had permanent damage from bacterial. My oldest daughter is starting college this fall and is required to have a vaccination for mennengitis. (Or I think they can sign a legal waiver if they don't want the shot.) Does your University require them? I didn't even know there were vaccinations until we received this information.

Kelly :)

I had viral meningitis when I was 14 years old. And since I've dealt firsthand with it, I'd like to volunteer my services (with all my vast experience, of course) for helping with Brad's spongebaths.

Oh Hayley, that's so gracious and giving of you. He'll be terribly weak and helpless. Are you prepared to deal with that? :woohoo:

Kelly :)

The vaccine itself is not required in NYS, but it IS required that every incoming student be educated about it. They have to read the info & either take it, prove they've already had it or sign a waiver. If they don't, they get a hold put on their registration.

It's pricey (we give it at cost, which is about $70 - I've heard of private MDs charging up to $150.) But it has few side effects & is good for 10 years. Will your daughter be living in a dorm? That's who we highly recommend it to.