How is it that meningitis is dangerous to the brain?

Meningitis treatment: Meningitis causes inflammation and subsequent injury to the brain. The sooner treatment is started, the less damage usually occurs. Treatment differs whether a virus or bacteria is the cause of meningitis. Although a viral cause is usually less severe, treatment for a virus infection is more a body response than antiviral medications. Bacterial infection requires antibiotics and treatment asap.

Happy germs: The damage caused by various germs will very with their aggressive nature. In short, they like the food/drink they find eating through your brain. Since there are no other germs around to compete with, they feed, reproduce and feed some more. Many types form puss pockets in and over the surface of the brain. At some point, they do enough damage to important structures & the untreated patient dies