It depends if she has bacterial meningitis or viral enchefalitis. She probably just has enchephalitis because a bacterial infection makes you violently ill, very fast and I can guarantee she wouldn't be back at work. Enchephalitis isn't really contagious per se, normally what happens is that one would have a virus, most commonly pneumonia but the common cold can cause it too, and the bacteria hang around in the top of your naso-pharynx. There is a plate between your nasopharynx and your brain, that has holes in it to allow nerves to pass through it, and if it becomes inflamed because you have an infection in the area, the bacteria move into the skull area. One doesnt have much of an immune response in the skull cavity and so the virus will spread quickly. Anyyway, to cut a long story short its unlikely with enchephalitis that she will sneeze on you and you will get it. She seems to have a mild form if she is back at work, it can cause anything from dizzyness and vomiting to decreased level of consciousness. However, if you doscover she has meningitis, the herpes virus is the most common cause in adults but again she would be sicker. Or, she could have pneumococcal meningitis in which cas stay very far away and have her contained in the Edenvale hospital where they will prevent an epedemic!!!
