The Blood-Brain Barrier in Bacterial Infections of the Central Nervous System

Bacterial meningitis, an infl ammation of the meninges affecting the pia, arachnoid, and subarachnoid space that occurs in response to bacteria and bacterial products in the brain, continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity in infants, children and adults (Kim 2010). A major contributing factor to such mortality and morbidity is the incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis.