Treatment
In most cases, there is no specific treatment for viral meningitis. Most people who get viral meningitis completely recover on their own within 7 to 10 days. However, people with meningitis caused by certain viruses such as herpesvirus and influenza, may benefit from treatment with an antiviral medication.
Antibiotics do not help viral infections, so they are not useful in the treatment of viral meningitis. However, antibiotics are very important when treating bacterial meningitis.
Infants and people with weakened immune systems who develop severe illness may need to be hospitalized.