Death worldwide annually due to meningitis?

• A. 135,000
• B. 50,000
• C. 10,000
• D. 500,000

Answer: (A)

Global deaths from meningitis are a substantial but not extreme mortality burden, reflecting all forms of the disease (bacterial, viral, tuberculous, and fungal). The death toll is variable year to year and is higher in regions with limited access to timely treatment and vaccination, especially in sub-Saharan Africa during outbreaks. Because of this variability, most reputable estimates place the annual global deaths in the low to mid hundreds of thousands. Among common figure choices, about 135,000 deaths per year falls within a plausible, widely cited range for the total meningitis mortality burden worldwide. The other options—much lower or much higher than these broad estimates—are less consistent with the known global impact.