Hattie Meningitis Research: Early Focus & Discoveries

The initial focus of Hattie meningitis research was to isolate and characterize the microorganisms that cause meningitis.

In 1887, Anton Weichselbaum identified the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis as the cause of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis. Subsequently, other bacteria and viruses were identified as causative agents of meningitis.

This led to the development of diagnostic techniques for identifying the specific cause of meningitis and the development of vaccines to prevent some types of meningitis.

Hattie’s research team also studied the pathogenesis of meningitis, including how bacteria and viruses cross the blood-brain barrier and cause inflammation of the meninges.