Bacterial meningitis is cause by two way. One way, it is contracted from another infected person or by being a carrier of the bacteria within your esophagus. 20 percent of the population is an active carrier of the bacteria. Just because you have the bacteria doesn’t mean that you will become sick. Just because you are around someone who is infected doesn’t mean you will become sick. When your body doesn’t fight the infection or an opportunity is presented within your body to allow the infection to take over, you become sick. Some people will only have flu like symptoms and other may fall deathly ill.