On the other hand, transverse myelitis or leukomyelitis, or white matter myelitis, are often caused by the herpesviruses and influenza virus. It can be due to direct viral invasion or via immune mediated mechanisms. Bacterial myelitisBacterial myelitis includes Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is a common agent for respiratory tract. Studies have shown respiratory tract infections within 4–39 days prior to the onset of transverse myelitis. Or, tuberculosis, syphilis, and brucellosis are also known to cause myelitis in immune-compromised individuals. Myelitis is a rare manifestation of bacterial infection. Fungal myelitisFungi have been reported to cause spinal cord disease either by forming abscesses inside the bone or by granuloma. In general, there are two groups of fungi that may infect the CNS and cause myelitis - primary and secondary pathogens. Primary pathogens include the following: Cryptococcus neoformans, Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitides, and Hystoplasma capsulatum. Secondary pathogens are opportunistic agents that primarily infect immunocompromised hosts such as Candida species, Aspergillus species, and zygomycetes. Parasitic myelitisParasitic species infect human hosts through larvae that penetrate the skin. Then they enter the lymphatic and circulatory system, and migrate to liver and lung. Some reach the spinal cord. Parasitic infections have been reported with Schistosoma species, Toxocara canis, Echinococcus species, Taenia solium, Trichinella spiralis, and Plasmodium species. Autoimmune myelitis
In 2016, it was identified in Mayo clinic an autoimmune form of myelitis due to the presence of anti-GFAP autoantibodies.
Prominent patients
Karen Armstrong (1959–1962), daughter of American astronaut Neil Armstrong and his first wife, Janet Elizabeth Shearon. Elena Desserich (2000–2007), daughter of Brooke and Keith Desserich. After her passing her parents founded The Cure Starts Now Foundation, the first international DIPG/DMG charity that today has funded over $12 million in research at 114 hospitals. Her story was also chronicled in Notes Left Behind and became a New York Times bestselling book on November 12, 2009. Gabriella Miller (2003–2013), American childhood cancer awareness advocate who raised thousands of dollars for childhood cancer charities and founded Smashing Walnuts Foundation. The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, signed into US law in 2014, was named after her. Lauren Hill (1995–2015), American freshman basketball player of Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati. To fulfil her wish of playing basketball for the college team for one game, the 2014 Hiram vs. Mount St. Joseph womens basketball game was scheduled 13 days earlier than the initially planned date and carried a brain cancer awareness message. Her efforts resulted in over $2.2 million raised for DIPG research through The Cure Starts Now Foundation. Nathaniel Kayne Finley (1999-2017), born to Curtis Lee, a former member of the U.S. Armed Forces and Kirsten Darlene Finley. Finley was a member of USA Swimming through Northern Kentucky Clippers and Daytona Beach Speed swimming clubs. Despite being diagnosed with DIPG in late 2016, Finley choose to attend LSU as a freshman in fall 2017, majoring in the College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian.