Bacterial meningitis is very serious and can be deadly. Death can occur in as little as a few hours. Most people recover from meningitis. However, permanent disabilities (such as brain damage, hearing loss, and learning disabilities) can result from the infection.
There are several types of bacteria that can cause meningitis. Leading causes in the United States include

• Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Group B Streptococcus
• Neisseria meningitidis
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Listeria monocytogenes

On average, bacterial meningitis caused about 4,100 cases and 500 deaths in the United States each year between 2003 and 2007
These bacteria can also be associated with another serious illness, Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection that can cause tissue damage, organ failure, and death.

Causes

Common causes of bacterial meningitis vary by age group:

• Newborns: Group B Streptococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli
• Babies and children: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), group B Streptococcus
• Teens and young adults: Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Older adults: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), group B Streptococcus, Listeria monocytogenes

Risk Factors

Certain people are at increased risk for bacterial meningitis. Some risk factors include:

• Age
  • Babies are at increased risk for bacterial meningitis compared to people in other age groups. However, people of any age can develop bacterial meningitis. See section above for which bacteria more commonly affect which age groups.
• Community setting
  • Infectious diseases tend to spread where large groups of people gather together. College campuses have reported outbreaks of meningococcal disease, caused by N. meningitidis.
• Certain medical conditions
  • There are certain medical conditions, medications, and surgical procedures that put people at increased risk for meningitis.
• Working with meningitis-causing pathogens
  • Microbiologists routinely exposed to meningitis-causing bacteria are at increased risk for meningitis.
• Travel

Charlie sheen is being accused of sodomizing a then 13-year-old Corey Haim on the set of the movie 'Lucas.'

According to the national enquirer a now deceased Haim had told others about how he was allegedly raped as a minor by Sheen, who was 19 at the time, while filming the 1986 movie. 

Former actor Dominick Brascia claims Haim disclosed to him what happened between him and Sheen. Brascia went on the record about what he says Haim told him before he died in 2010 at 38-years-old. 

'Haim told me he had sex with Sheen when they filmed 'Lucas,' Brascia told the Enquirer. 'He told me they smoked pot and had sex. He said they had anal sex. Haim said after it happened Sheen became very cold and rejected him. When Corey wanted to fool around again, Charlie was not interested.'

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Sheen emerged from his parents Martin and Janet Sheen's home looking defiant while smoking a cigarette in the face of the bombshell allegations against him. The magazine also says that Lost Boys actor's closest friend, Corey Feldman, alluded to the alleged incident in his book 'Coreyography: A Memoir.' 

'At some point during the filming [of 'Lucas,' Haim] explained an adult male convinced him it was perfectly normal for older men and younger boys in the business to have sexual relations, that it was ''what all guys do,'' Feldman wrote.

'So they walked off to a secluded area between two trailers during a lunch break for the cast and crew,' continued Feldman,' and Haim, innocent and ambitious as he was, allowed himself to be sodomized.' Feldman never named Sheen as the man in the incident. 

In 2011, according to the Enquirer, when Feldman was asked about Sheen he said: 'I'm not a huge fan of Charlie Sheen…especially the way he's affected other people that I know.' Tellingly, Feldman also said Haim 'fought for his entire life to recover from those early experiences and to get his life together.'

And, just last week, on the Today Show, Feldman said a report coming from the National Enquirer was to be expected. 'They cover it up. They protect it. I know of a friend of mine that actually went and spoke to a reporter and gave all the information and they were -- the day before I launched my campaign, they were supposed to put out a story in the [National] Enquirer.'  

'I believe there's a lot of darkness in Hollywood right now, and I believe it's been there for quite some time,' said Feldman. 'It's going to continue unraveling. This is just the beginning, it's just the tip of the iceberg. 

The anus is considered to be the dirtiest part in body due to its contact with faecal matter. Still, the latest studies conducted by scientist at Harvard school of dental medicine have discovered that there are over 615 different types of bacteria which are messing up your mouth, tongue and other body part making them dirty of dirtiest.

1. MOUTH

Knowing that the mouth is the dirtiest part of your body, for most people will be really shocking.  Laboratory tests at Harvard school of dental medicines have proved that mouth is house of 600 different types of bacteria.

2. ARMPITS

Human armpit is collection of more than 80,000 bacteria and that is the reason why it stinks so awful. Regardless of the fact that deo and perfumes smell good, they still cannot deal with the germs; you need to clean this area on daily basis, using antibacterial soap.

3. EARS

The ear wax provides lubrication to the ear canal and also protects from various bacteria, insect and water. Well, the wax precisely is the reason that makes the ears dirtiest part of the body. Experts warn that if you are not cleaning them regularly, you may get some fungal infection. Human ear has self cleansing ability, but you still need to maintain outer hygiene.

4. TONGUE

Along with mouth, human tongue is house of bacteria sticking to it, as well. Experts explain that the tongue changes its colour if there is some bacteria on it. Therefore, it is important to clean your tongue along with tongue cleaner anytime you clean your mouth.

5. FINGER NAILS

This particularly refers to women who love long nails. All of you need to be aware of the fact that the skin under nails has deadliest bacteria that even may lead death if are not cleaned properly. Before eating or preparing food you should clean your hands and nails thoroughly.

6. HEAD

Most commonly the itching of the head is caused by dandruff, but at some people, the dandruff is mixed with bacteria and that makes your head incredibly dirty part of your body. You should wash your hairs regularly in order to prevent some bacteria eating your scalp.

7. BELLY BUTTON

The belly button also is on the list of dirtiest part of body. It is perfect area for the unseen bacteria. Namely, by not cleaning the navel may cause formation of naval stone in your belly button and over time that may lead to formation of tumour. Don’t forget to clean your belly button every time you take a bath.

8. BOTTOMS

There is no need to discuss more about this body part. It is fact that many bacteria stay in dirty things which makes the anus among the most dirty parts, unless if is cleaned properly.

9. NASAL CAVITY

This part of your face is surrounded by many negligible bacteria and that is the reason why you should pay special attention in cleaning of this part.

Hypocrites groom you to become hyper-aware of your own minor (or non-existent) wrongdoings, while actively dismissing anything that they themselves are doing wrong. First they relocate blame—then, your conscience does the rest of the work for them. Hypocrites are experts at blaming others, while empathetic people are experts at blaming themselves. The more of their poison you absorb, the more you start to doubt yourself, thereby making you more vulnerable to more poison.

These dynamics leave you feeling self-conscious, inferior, insecure, and like nothing you do will ever be good enough—like someone is always judging you. You become a perfectionist, terrified that you might have actually become all of these things you’ve been accused of, But it was all projection.

Hypocrites spend their lives cheating, betraying, conning, and deceiving. But despite this disgusting pattern of behavior, they still feel entitled to point out (or invent) the most minor mistakes in others—and they’ll point them out repeatedly, to negate & excuse all of their own horrible actions.

As a result, you spend more and more time trying to prove your ethics to the most unethical person on the planet. You end up feeling guilty for being five minutes late to a date (months ago), while they gleefully cheat on you with another man or woman.

If the moral scales in your life seem to be skewed beyond all recognition, you likely encountered a pathological hypocrite—or a psychopath.

Here are some warning signs:

1)  Do as I say, not as I do. Their actions never seem to match up with their charming words. They have extremely high expectations in you, but don’t seem to follow those standards themselves. They are allowed to have dinner with their “crazy” ex who’s “still in love” with them, but they’ll give you the silent treatment for going out with your friends.

2)  The rules apply to others, but they do not apply to me. They believe they are above the law—both legally and ethically. They feel entitled to behave however they choose, but others must be kept in line at all times. We see this in politics every single day, when our elected officials stomp across the morals they enforce upon everyone else.

3)  It is always someone else’s fault. It's not their fault for lying. It's your fault for being so petty and pointing out their lie. They might also bring up your past mistakes, to prove that their lie isn't actually so bad by comparison. Someone is always out to get them, and that’s the reason behind all of their problems.

4)  Anyone who points out my wrongdoings should be punished.When all else fails, you must be punished, so you learn not to point out their lies anymore. This can be done through triangulation, cheating, and most commonly—the silent treatment.

5)  The perpetual victim. Their bad behavior always has sob-story roots. They learned to lie because of their abusive ex, or their abusive parent. They hate drama; all they’ve ever wanted is some peace & quiet, and yet they provoke more drama than anyone you’ve ever known. They declare their hatred of negativity, all the while calling you "hysterical" to anyone who will listen, even when you are completely ignoring them.

6)  Condescending, patronizing, and superior. You feel like a child being reprimanded by an adult. They speak down to you as if you are intellectually deficient and emotionally unstable. They laugh when you try to express yourself, dismissing any concerns you might have as hyper-sensitive and crazy.

7) Lies & excuses. Hypocrites have excuses for everything. You will find that they spend a lot more time excusing their behavior than ever actually improving it. Instead of apologizing or admitting fault, they simply ignore reality & argue with solid evidence when confronted with it. Survivors also often notice that psychopaths seem to enjoy the thrill of lying. Sometimes it seems they've planted evidence that actually allows you to catch them. They lie even when the truth would suffice. Why? Because duping others is what they do. It is the only highlight of their otherwise insufferably boring lives. Pathological lying 

Britain's most senior police officer today warned the capital faces losing another 3,000 officers as the force faces 'unprecedented' challenges.

Cressida Dick, Met Police Commissioner, said the force is facing £400million of cuts over the next three years.

She said a spike in crime combined with the surge in terror attacks and the funding squeeze has resulted in an 'unprecedented' challenge for the force.  

And she said the force will have to make 'ruthless' decisions about what crime and preventative work to prioritise as it faces the loss of more officers.

Appearing before the Home Affairs Select Committee in Parliament, Commissioner Dick said the force - which covers counter terrorism as well as policing in London - faces losing a tenth of its officers by 2020.  She told MPs: 'Our planning assumption at the moment is that if (the funding cut is) £400million, and things stay pretty  much as we see them, we will go down to somewhere between 27,000 and 28,000 police officers.

'We are currently bobbing around at over 30,000 which is much less than we have been at our peak.'

In a grave assessment, she said the loss of yet more officers as recorded crime jumped 13 per cent in the past year would place a strain on the force. The police chief said: 'It doesn't feel me with any joy at all.

'I do think it is genuinely unprecedented, certainly in my policing time, to have crime going up as it is, violent crime going up as it is, and the threat of terrorism as it is, calls going up as they are.

'And complexity - a lot of what we are being asked to deal with for example organised crime, child sexual exploitation...this does all feel unprecedented.'

She said police will have to continue to try to find fresh savings and efficiencies to cope with their squeezed budget.

'If we go down to that level we will absolutely have to look at whether we can be front footed as we would like to be '

She added: 'We'll have to be really ruthless about some demands.'

The Met Police Commissioner said a 'Herculean effort' by her officers had stemmed the recent rise of violent crime.

But she warned that the four terror attacks in London and Manchester this year - and the seven foiled in seven month - have left counter terrorism officers on a relentless cycle.

She said: 'That has put a huge burden on the organisation', adding: 'The tempo at the moment with the counter terrorism command is a feeling of about 30 per cent more workload - that's on the investigative and intelligence side.'

The Commissioner added: 'It is putting a considerable strain on the organisation and on policing more generally. She told MPs that if the Met Police is given extra cash she would use it to beef up the force's intelligence and preventative work, and keep bobbies on the beat.

But as her budget is squeezed she warned that the Met will not be as 'front-footed' as she would like it to be, and have to cut back on preventative work.

Crime in England and Wales soared by 13 per cent in a year with an even bigger rise in violent offences including knife crime and sexual offences.

Forces registered 5.2 million crimes in the year to the end of June, which was up by 13 per cent on the previous 12 months.

The number of violent crimes rose from 1,033,719 cases the previous year to 1,229,260 cases this year.

There was an 19 per cent increase in the number of sexual offences recorded in England and Wales, up to 129,700 on the previous year. 

A man has died after a commercial firework was posted through his letterbox, exploding more than 200 times and sending a fire ripping through his home.

Neighbours claim Anthony Nicholls desperately tried to smash windows so that he and his partner Marie, 50, could escape the flames. 

Police say the blaze started when a lit box of fireworks containing 200 tubes of explosives - normally used at outdoor public displays - was put through the door of his home in Birmingham.

The 56-year-old was rescued by firefighters who raced to the property after receiving a 999 call at 11pm last Thursday. 

The former hardware store worker was rushed to hospital with 60 per cent burns and placed in an induced coma after the blaze ravaged his property. 

But West Midlands Police said Mr Nicholls never regained consciousness and detectives had now launched a murder inquiry.  

His partner Marie is still being treated for fractures to her legs after jumping from a first floor window.

Neighbours reported hearing Mr Nicholls screaming for help and trying to break the windows in a desperate bid to escape. A blue forensic tent could be seen outside the £150,000 semi-detached property on Saturday, which has been left badly damaged by the fire.

Neighbours living on the quiet residential street said described seeing paramedics frantically working on Mr Nicholls. One elderly woman, who did not want to be named, said: 'It's really shocking because this is usually a nice quiet area.

'I've been told somebody put lit fireworks through their letterbox. They were both in bed asleep and Marie jumped from the window. People were saying they could hear fireworks going off in the night and that they sounded very close.

'Its despicable that somebody could do such a thing. He used to work at the hardware shop over the road but gave up because of his health.'

Mr Nicholls' friend Janet Mahoney, 73, said: 'He really is a nice chap - anyone who spoke to him would say the same thing. I knew him from the shop he worked in. It really is shocking and I'm so so sad for Tony - I spoke to him only three days before the fire.'

Detective Inspector Paul Joyce of West Midlands Police said: 'Sadly one of the victims of this fire has died and our thoughts are with his family and partner at their time of loss.

'His death means that we are now treating this as a murder enquiry and I would like to re-emphasise the need for anyone with information to call us.'

He said officers were studying CCTV, but also called for members of the public who had home security camera footage and had not yet done so to share it with police.

Officers believe the firework, which gutted the home's interior, would have taken two minutes to fully discharge and are asking for help in tracing where it came from. Mr Joyce added: 'The impact would have been terrifying for the occupants and I would urge anyone who sold or is missing a firework of this size to get in touch.

'This would have been a large heavy firework that would have been difficult to carry some distance, so I would ask anyone who saw someone carrying a large box in the area last Thursday night to contact us. 

A respected pharmacist murdered his elderly father at their £1.3million luxury home by mixing stolen morphine into a fruit smoothie before injecting him with insulin as he slept, a court today.

Bipin Desai watched a football match on TV before pouring the painkiller into a drink for his 85-year-old father whose body was later found at their detached house in the Surrey stockbroker belt.

Desai, 59, who shared the home with his father Dhirajlal in Dockenfield, near Farnham, checked on him five minutes after kissing him goodnight and then injected him with insulin as he slept.

Today he faced a trial at Guildford Crown Court on a charge of murder, which he denies. The jury has been told he admits assisting in a suicide and two charges of theft by an employee.

William Boyce QC, prosecuting, said Desai at first hoped to disguise the killing as a natural death and went through the facade of making his father breakfast the next morning, which he left out for him.

When he returned home from work at the pharmacy he once owned, he made the fake 'discovery' that his father had died in his sleep and phoned 999.

But when he realised a post-mortem examination would take place on his father's body - because he had not seen a British doctor for six months - Desai went into a police station, with his wife Dipti and two sons Samir and Nichil, and told officers he helped his father commit suicide.

His father had lived in Zambia before moving to stay with family in Zimbabwe and then eventually moving in with his son in the village of Dockenfield in February 2015.  Mr Boyce told the jury that a 20ml bottle of concentrated morphine solution Oramorph was ordered by the Vaughan James Pharmacy, in Farnham - where Desai worked - on February 20, 2015 and delivered the next day.

'Pharmacy records show the defendant was the responsible person on duty on February 20 when the bottle was ordered and was the responsible person when the bottle of Oramorph was delivered,' said Mr Boyce.

'This bottle is not something the pharmacy normally ordered, it's very strong. All controlled drugs recorded at the pharmacy should be recorded in the controlled drug register.'

He added: 'There was no recording. Rohit Patel [both corr], the pharmacy owner, was not aware that Oramophy had been ordered or received.'

Mr Boyce told the jury that on August 26, Desai's wife and two sons had gone to London leaving him alone with his father, after he returned from a Pilates class.

'However, several messages were exchanged between Desai and his son Nichil about Manchester United's 4-0 victory over FC Brugge that night,' he added. 

A teenager was horrified to discover her missed periods were symptoms of ovarian cancer, 

Amy Allen, then 18, was suspected of having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age.

But as well as not having menstruated in six months, she was developing thick facial hair – which she eventually found out was due to having two-and-a-half times the normal level of the male hormone, testosterone, in her blood.

Amy was due to start her first year of a psychology degree at York St John's University, when, on her mother's advice went to her GP over her worrying symptoms – leading to her shocking diagnosis. She is very young to be diagnosed with the disease. In most cases, ovarian cancer affects women over the age of 50, or postmenopausal women.

Amy was diagnosed with a rare type called Sertoli-Leydig sex cord tumour –which produces unusual symptoms including a lower pitch of voice.

Now 21, Amy, from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, battled through the illness and has graduated. She said: 'I was the first person in living memory in Yorkshire to be diagnosed with that type of ovarian tumour.

'I went to the hospital appointment alone and hearing the words, "It's cancer" was incredibly shocking.'

'The scariest day of my life'

Initially, Amy, the eldest of four children, was wrongly suspected of suffering from PCOS, as her symptoms were so similar.

The condition, resulting from elevated male hormones in women, causes many small and harmless follicles to grow on the ovaries and can cause irregular or no menstrual periods and excess body and facial hair.

Her GP first told her about her excessive testosterone levels during freshers' week at university. Amy said: 'The doctor from home rang me to ensure I was getting checked out, my blood test results had revealed that my testosterone levels were 2.5 times higher than they should be, and my oestrogen levels were significantly lower.'

Subsequent ultra-scan and MRI scans carried out at York Hospital in late 2014 indicated that Amy had a suspected cyst on her ovary.

Then, in March 2015, she had this biopsied, so it could be examined more closely.

'Seven weeks had passed and I'd had my first period in a year and I thought everything was dandy,' she added.

'My periods had started at about 14, but after a few years they gave me very severe lower back pain and I developed bad facial hair. Then they stopped not long after I turned 18.'

Contacted about a post-biopsy appointment, Amy went alone, believing everything was fine, only to be told she had cancer.

She said: 'The doctors and nurses were so nice. They explained everything and we had a laugh about the rarity and excitement of the type of tumour – the first one to be diagnosed in Yorkshire. If I hadn't laughed I would have cried.'

But she saved her tears until she could call her housemates, when she sobbed down the phone.

'Getting the diagnosis was the scariest day of my life and a memory that will stay with me for a while,' she admitted.

'At 19 years old and coming towards the end of my first year of university, cancer was not something I thought I'd personally have to go through.'

Former Stoke City  defender Dionatan Teixeira has died of a suspected heart attack aged just 25.

The Brazilian-born player, who played twice for Stoke's first team after spending three years at the club, is believed to have passed away after a heart attack in his native country.

Teixeira joined Moldovan Sheriff Tiraspol side in February this year and made 10 appearances as Sheriff won the Moldovan National Division title. Teixeira also played for Kosice, Slovan Bratislava, Banik Ruzina and Dukla Banska Bystrica and made eight appearances for Fleetwood Town during a loan spell from Stoke in 2015.

A statement on Stoke's website read: 'Stoke City extends sincere condolences to the family of former defender Dionatan Teixeira following his untimely passing at the age of 25. Chief executive Tony Scholes added: 'Dionatan was a hugely popular member of our squad and it's difficult to comprehend that he has passed away at such a young age.

'Our thoughts and prayers go out to his young family and friends at such a difficult time.'

During his time in England, Teixeira also played for Fleetwood Town, who also released a statement expressing their sadness at his passing.  

The League One side said: 'The thoughts of everyone at #ftfc are with the family and friends of former player Dionatan Teixeira, who has sadly passed away aged 25.'

A statement on the Sheriff Tiraspol website said Teixeira had travelled to his native Brazil in the summer and had been due to return to the club. 

The Sheriff Tiraspol statement read: 'A few hours ago, a good man and an excellent football player, former FC Sheriff player Dionatan Teixeira died.

'The Brazilian defender was only 25 years old. The whole of the club is shocked by this tragic news. The pain of loss is great. 

Dozens of princes and former government ministers have been arrested in Saudi Arabia hours after an anti-corruption commission was formed.

Officials in the kingdom has frozen the bank accounts of 11 princes and 38 former government ministers, deputies and businessmen who are being held in five-star hotels across the capital, Riyadh, in the anti-corruption sweep.

The Saudi information ministry also stated the government would seize any asset or property related to the alleged corruption, meaning London’s Savoy hotel could become state property in the kingdom.

Saudi billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal - who is one of the richest men in the world and owns the British capital’s top hotel the Savoy - is one of the men who has been detained.

‘The accounts and balances of those detained will be revealed and frozen,’ a spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s information ministry said.

‘Any asset or property related to these cases of corruption will be registered as state property.’  

Those detained are being held in five-star hotels across the capital, Riyadh, in the anti-corruption sweep. 

Reports suggest some of the detainees are being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh. 

A royal court official, Badr al-Asaker, on Sunday appeared to confirm the arrests on Twitter, describing a 'historic and black night against the corrupt'.

The powerful heads of the Saudi National Guard, an elite internal security force, and the navy were also replaced in a series of high-profile sackings that sent shock waves in the kingdom. Prince Alwaleed is one of the Middle East's richest people, with investments in Twitter, Apple, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, Citigroup, the Four Seasons hotel chains and most recently in ride sharing service Lyft.

He's also known for being among the most outspoken Saudi royals, long advocating for greater women's rights. 

He is also majority owner of the popular Rotana Group of Arabic channels.

The government has so far only announced that an anti-corruption probe was launched, with state-linked media reporting that dozens of princes and ministers were detained without releasing their names.  

In June this year, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was appointed to the role after his father, King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, decided to depose former Crown Prince Muhammad bin Naye. The king also ousted Prince Miteb bin Abdullah from his post as head of the National Guard overnight. 

The prince is reportedly among those detained in the sweep, as is his brother, Prince Turki bin Abdullah, who was once governor of Riyadh. 

Both are sons of the late King Abdullah, who ruled before his half brother King Salman.

Saudi Twitter accounts released several other names of those arrested, such as Alwalid al-Ibrahim, a powerful Saudi businessman with ties to the royal family who runs the Arabic satellite group MBC; Amr al-Dabbagh, the former head of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority; Ibrahim Assaf, the former finance minister; and Bakr Binladin, head of the Saudi Binladin Group, a major business conglomerate.