Encephalitis literally means an inflammation of the brain, but it usually refers to brain inflammation caused by a virus. It's a rare disease that occurs in approximately 0.5 per 100,000 individuals .Symptoms in milder cases of encephalitis usually include:
fever
headache
poor appetite
loss of energy
a general sick feeling
In more severe cases of encephalitis, a person is more likely to experience high fever and any of a number of symptoms that relate to the central nervous system, including:
severe headache
nausea and vomiting
stiff neck
confusion
disorientation
personality changes
convulsions (seizures)
problems with speech or hearing
hallucinations
memory loss
drowsiness
coma
It's harder to detect some of these symptoms in infants, but important signs to look for include:
vomiting
a full or bulging soft spot (fontanel)
crying that doesn't stop or that seems worse when an infant is picked up or handled in some way
body stiffness
Because encephalitis can follow or accompany common viral illnesses, there sometimes are signs and symptoms of these illnesses beforehand. But often, the encephalitis appears without warning
DiagnosisDoctors use several tests to diagnose encephalitis, including:
imaging tests, such as computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to check the brain for swelling, bleeding, or other abnormalities
electroencephalogram (EEG), which records the electrical signals in the brain, to check for abnormal brain waves
blood tests to confirm the presence of bacteria or viruses in the blood, and whether a person is producing antibodies (specific proteins that fight infection) in response to a germ
lumbar puncture, or spinal tap, in which cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord) is checked for signs of infection
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