Which of these would not be a sign of meningitis?a. brown blotches on the skinb. stiff neckc. cloudy spinal fluidd. gram-negative cocci in specimens

A sign is "objective evidence" of disease like a fever. Objective indicates that it can be evaluated or measured by the patient or others. A symptom is "subjective evidence" of a disease like pain or a headache. Subjective indicates that it can be evaluated or measured only by the patient.

The meninges are the three membranes (dura mater, arachnoid mater and pia mater) that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis (mening means meninges, and -itis means inflammation) is the inflammation of the meninges, and typically it is caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Early symptoms may include fever, severe headache, vomiting, and stiff neck.

Bacterial meningitis typically creates more drastic symptoms and may lead to brain damage and death if it is left untreated. Both viral and bacterial meningitis are highly contagious and they can be spread through respiratory droplets or oral secretions.