Both the U.N. World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have useful, if rather technical, factsheets on meningitis. They both give plenty of background information on symptoms, vaccines, treatments and epidemiology.

The U.N. news agency, IRIN, published this article in March 2007 on the threat of a full-scale epidemic, focusing particularly on the potential shortage of vaccines.

International relief agency Medecins Sans Frontieres in the United States (MSF-USA) has an informative and accessible section on its website on the disease, along with the latest news on the agency's activities in the Meningitis Belt.

A good source for basic facts and figures is the Meningitis Trust, an international charity with offices in the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand. Its website provides background information and statistics, along with details of events and campaigns.

The Meningitis Research Foundation is also British-based. Its website has sections on the latest research and also has pages for health professionals, as well as the general public.

The Meningitis Vaccine Project's website tells you everything you need to know about the disease, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. MVP is a partnership between WHO and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH).