Symptoms appear 4 to 10 days following infection and can range from mild flu-like symptoms to full-blown encephalitis. About 5 to 10 cases are reported each year.
Because the disease can occur suddenly and progress rapidly, anyone who is suspected of having encephalitis should immediately contact a doctor or go to the hospital. Infectious causes of encephalitis include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Encephalitis can be caused by infections or autoimmune conditions where the body's own immune responses attack the brain. Even with extensive testing, the specific cause of encephalitis remains unknown in about 30%–40% of cases.
Encephalitis usually starts off with flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature and headache. More serious symptoms come on over hours, days or weeks, including: confusion or disorientation. seizures or fits.
COVID-19-associated encephalitis has been described as a neurological complication that can occur at all stages of a positive SARS-CoV-2 infection (2, 3) and considered a medical emergency requiring urgent care, with complications encompassing severe disability and death (3-6).
At a later time, emotional or physical stress can reactivate the virus to cause an infection of the brain. It causes the most subacute (between acute and chronic) and chronic (lasting three or more months) encephalitis infections in humans.
Left untreated, autoimmune encephalitis can quickly become serious. It may lead to coma or permanent brain injury. In rare cases, it can be fatal.
Traditional encephalitis is caused by a virus or bacteria, the NLM says. But autoimmune encephalitis occurs when the body's immune system unexpectedly creates antibodies to attack the brain, says Eric Lancaster, MD, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Penn Neuroscience Center.
Travelers abroad are most at risk for Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis. Japanese encephalitis is mosquito-borne and occurs mainly in: China, Japan, and Korea. Eastern Russia.
Toxic encephalopathy is a neurological disorder caused by exposure to toxic substances. Toxic encephalopathy can occur following acute or chronic exposure to toxic substances, such as diesel exhaust, chlorinated solvents, welding fumes and ammonia.
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — this is probably caused by repeated blows to the head and concussions. It is associated with contact sports such as boxing and football. hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy — lack of oxygen to the brain leads to abnormal brain function.
Any other disease process affecting the brain may have similar signs. The most common diseases to rule out are congenital malformation and tumor. Other diseases which may be considered include metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and stroke.
Recovering from encephalitis can be a long, slow and difficult process. Many people will never make a full recovery. Specialised services are available to aid recovery and help the person adapt to any persistent problems – this is known as rehabilitation.
Encephalitis needs to be treated urgently. Treatment involves tackling the underlying cause, relieving symptoms and supporting bodily functions. It's treated in hospital – usually in an intensive care unit (ICU), which is for people who are very ill and need extra care.
Encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain tissue, is rare, affecting about one in 200,000 people each year in the U.S. When it strikes, it can be very serious, causing personality changes, seizures, weakness, and other symptoms depending on the part of the brain affected.
headache – which is often severe, located in a single section of the head and cannot be relieved with painkillers. changes in mental state – such as confusion or irritability. problems with nerve function – such as muscle weakness, slurred speech or paralysis on one side of the body. a high temperature.
Brain scans
A scan of the brain can help show whether you have encephalitis or another problem such as a stroke, brain tumour or brain aneurysm (a swelling in an artery). The 2 main types of scan used are: a CT scan. an MRI scan.
Encephalitis typically begins with a fever and headache. The symptoms rapidly worsen, and there may be seizures, confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, and possibly coma. While most people with mild cases of encephalitis will recover, the disease can be life threatening.
Rates of self-reported psychiatric diagnoses following encephalitis were high: anxiety (44.0%), depression (38.6%), panic disorder (15.7%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, 21.3%); these rates were broadly consistent with the results of a validated self-report measure, the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening ...
There are several forms of encephalitis associated with antibodies against intracellular neuronal proteins, cell surfaces or synaptic proteins, referred to as autoimmune encephalitis. Several case reports published in the literature document autoimmune encephalitis cases triggered by COVID-19 infection.