Community-acquired bacterial meningitis is still a worldwide infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality, it is also a disease that needs urgent treatment. Early and correct diagnosis, timely treatment and early prevention are the key factors to reduce morbidity of bacterial meningitis. This paper reviews the main pathogens, epidemiology and occurrence mechanism of bacterial meningitis as well as the current situation of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this disease, so as to provide reference for further understanding of the occurrence, development, prevention, control and treatment of bacterial meningitis.