Encephalitis
Encephalitis means inflammation of the brain Viral infections are the most common cause of the condition
Encephalitis causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and severe abdominal pain The disease also causes thinking problems, epileptic-type seizures, and sensory and movement problems. However, many cases of encephalitis produce only mild, flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all.
Rare, severe cases of encephalitis can be life-threatening Since it is impossible to predict the development of specific encephalitis, timely diagnosis and treatment are necessary
Often, the exact cause of encephalitis is unknown, but usually a viral infection is identified as the cause of death at the time of diagnosis. Bacterial and non-infectious inflammatory conditions can also cause encephalitis
Infection is caused by one of two conditions that damage the brain:
- Primary encephalitis occurs when a virus or other infectious organism directly infects the brain. The infection can be concentrated in one point or spread Primary infection may be caused by activation of inactive (latent) virus
- Secondary (postinfectious) encephalitis is caused by an incorrect reaction of the immune system during an infection in another part of the body Instead of attacking the cells causing the infection, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy brain cells.
Secondary encephalitis develops 2-3 weeks after the initial infection. In rare cases, secondary encephalitis occurs as a complication of live viral vaccination
Frequent viral causes Most common causes of encephalitis:
- Herpes simplex virus There are two types of herpes simplex virus Both of them can cause encephalitis Herpes simplex virus type 1 causes bumps and sores around the mouth Herpes simplex virus type 2 mainly causes genital herpes Encephalitis caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 is rare, but the infection can cause significant damage to the brain.
- Other herpes viruses Other herpes viruses can cause encephalitis For example, the Ebstein-Barr virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis, and the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox.
- Enteroviruses Such viruses include polio and coxsackieviruses, which mainly cause flu-like symptoms, eye inflammation and abdominal pain.
- Mosquito transmitted viruses Arboviruses or other arthropod viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects. Mosquito-borne viruses cause the following infections: West Nile, La Crosse, St. Louis, Western Equatorial, or Eastern Equatorial Encephalitis
Mosquitoes pick up the virus from non-human animals, such as birds, squirrels or horses, and transmit it to humans. Symptoms of infection appear within a few days or weeks after the virus comes into contact with the body - Viruses caused by ticks Powassan virus is a common tick-borne virus that causes encephalitis Symptoms appear approximately 1 week after exposure to the virus
- rabies virus The rabies virus transmitted by an infected animal causes the rapid development of encephalitis after the onset of symptoms Rabies is a rare cause of encephalitis
- Infections in children Common infections in children such as measles, rubella, and mumps were common causes of encephalitis in the past However, due to vaccinations, the number of encephalitis caused by these viruses is greatly reduced today
Most patients with encephalitis have no symptoms or have mild, flu-like symptoms such as:
- Headache
- Fever
- Muscle or joint pain
- Fatigue or weakness
Severe cases require immediate medical attention Symptoms of severe encephalitis:
- Confusion, hallucinations, or hallucinations
- Epilepsy-type seizures
- Numbness or paralysis in some parts of the face or body
- Muscle weakness
- Double vision
Severe pain, fever and altered consciousness require immediate medical attention
It is necessary to provide emergency medical assistance to children and newborns with symptoms of encephalitis.
