"Farmer had lost a baby to meningitis"

Meningitis is the "swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord." Common symptoms include fever and chills, changes in mental states, nausea, light sensitivity, headaches, and a stiff neck. Doctors usually prescribe antibiotics for bacterial meningitis, but these antibiotics don't work for viral meningitis. If bacterial meningitis -- the more serious of the two -- is left untreated, it can result in brain damage or death.