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Encephalitis
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Viral encephalitis is inflammation of the brain itself caused by a virus. It refers to the brain parenchyma, which is the tissue of the brain, not the membranes that wrap around it.
The virus almost never starts there. First it invades another site in the body, outside the central nervous system, and multiplies there. Then it reaches the brain and the spinal cord by two paths: through the blood, which is the hematogenous route, or by climbing in retrograde fashion, that is, backward, from the nerve endings, the tips of the nerves. The virus comes in through another door of the house and later goes up to the top floor, through the plumbing or through the wiring.
Not all viruses cause it with the same frequency. In the United States the most common ones are herpes simplex virus, West Nile virus and the enteroviruses.
In brief
Viral encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by a virus.
The virus first invades a site outside the central nervous system and replicates there; it then reaches the spinal cord and brain by hematogenous spread or by retrograde transport from nerve endings.
The virus comes in through another door of the house and later goes up to the top floor, through the plumbing or through the wiring.
In the United States the most common causes are herpes simplex, West Nile virus and the enteroviruses.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingViral Encephalitis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated