| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Victims are usually exposed to viruses resulting in encephalitis by insect bites or food and drink. The most frequently encountered agents are arboviruses (carried by mosquitoes or ticks) and enteroviruses ( coxsackievirus, poliovirus and echovirus ). Some of the less frequent agents are measles, rabies, mumps, varicella and herpes simplex viruses.
Patients with encephalitis suffer from fever, headache, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness and photophobia. The symptoms of encephalitis are caused by brain's defense mechanisms being activated to get rid of infection (brain swelling, small bleedings and cell death). Neurologic examination usually reveals a stiff neck due to the irritation of the meninges covering the brain. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluidCerebrospinal fluid CSF in short, is the clear fluid that occupies the subarachnoid space (the space between the skull and cortex of the brain). It acts as a "cushion" or buffer for the cortex. Also, CSF occupies the ventricular system of the brain and th obtained by a lumbar punctureIn medicine, a lumbar puncture (colloquially known as a spinal tap is a diagnostic procedure that is done to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for biochemical, microbiological and cytological analysis. Indications The most common indication fo procedure reveals increased amounts of proteins and white blood cells with normal glucose. A CT scan examination is performed to reveal possible complications of brain swelling, brain abscessBrain abscess (or cerebral abscess) is an abscess caused by inflammation and collection of infected material coming from local (ear infection, infection of paranasal sinuses, infection of the mastoid air cells of the temporal bone, epidural abscess) or re or bleeding. Lumbar puncture procedure is performed only after the possibility of a prominent brain swelling is excluded by a CT scan examination.
Treatment is usually symptomatic. Reliably tested specific antiviral agents are available only for a few viral agents (e.g. acyclovir for herpes) and are used with limited success.
Encephalitis lethargicaEncephalitis lethargica is an atypical form of encephalitis characterized by high fever, headache, double vision, delayed physical and mental response, and lethargy. In acute cases, patients may enter coma. Patients may also experience abnormal eye moveme is an atypical form of encephalitis which caused an epidemicAn epidemic is generally a widespread disease that affects many individuals in a population. An epidemic may be restricted to one locale or may even be global ( pandemic). An outbreak of a disease is defined as being epidemic, however, not by how many mem from 1917 to 1928. There have only been a small number of isolated cases since, though in recent years a few patients have shown very similar symptoms. The cause is now thought to be a bacterial agent. As depicted in the book AwakeningsAwakenings is a 1990 fact-based film which tells the story of a doctor who in 1969 discovers beneficial effects of the then-new drug L-Dopa on patients who are comatose after surviving the 1917-1928 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica. It stars Robert De by doctor Oliver SacksOliver Sacks (born July 9, 1933, London) is a neurologist who has written popular books about his patients. He considers it following the tradition of 19th-century "clinical anecdotes", literary-style informal case histories. His favorite example is Alexa, which was made into the film starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, the disease sometimes caused catatonia which could persist for decades.