Bacterial meningitis is a serious and life-threatening infection of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by infection of the meningeal tissue surrounding the brain. There are a variety of pathogens that are classically associated with bacterial meningitis including Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Neisseria meningitidis (Nm), Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), etc. Among these, GBS, E. coli, and Lm are the most common pathogens that have the propensity to infect infants leading to neonatal meningitis.

Bacterial meningitis remains a significant cause of death or disability worldwide, disproportionally affecting children and raising public health concerns. To cause CNS dysfunction, bacteria must persist in the blood, penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB), induce local inflammation, increase BBB permeability, and allow leukocytes to migrate across the BBB. This process is accompanied by aberrant expression of molecules such as tight junction proteins, adherent junction proteins, inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines.

Due to the diversity of pathogens responsible for bacterial meningitis, the lack of specific vaccines, and the high rate of morbidity, a more in-depth understanding of mechanisms at cellular and molecular levels is needed. We would like to explore new insights that will guide us to improve the strategies for the prevention and control of bacterial meningitis.

This Research Topic aims to collect Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Case Report addressing questions related to epidemiology, genomics, immunity, and pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis. It will also provide novel perspectives to be addressed in the future years regarding the prevention and treatment of bacterial meningitis.

Suitable topics for submissions include, but are not limited to:
- Molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity
- Regulation of host-pathogen interaction and pathogenesis in bacterial meningitis (e.g., bacterial invasion, BBB breakdown, neuroinflammation)
- Novel findings of immunologic response and vaccine development
- Drug resistance and rapid diagnosis

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Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

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