Signs and symptoms
... Most people infected with viral encephalitis have only mild symptoms — headache, irritability or lethargy — or no symptoms, and the illness doesn''t last long. Serious cases can cause: Dro...

Causes
... The cause of encephalitis is most often a viral infection. Some examples include herpes viruses; arboviruses transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and other insects; and rabies and monkeypox viruses transm...

Risk factors
... Mosquitoes don''t discriminate, so anyone can develop viral encephalitis. But some factors put you at greater risk: Age. Some types of encephalitis are more prevalent or more severe in young children ...

When to seek medical advice
... You or your child may be severely ill within 24 hours after initial signs and symptoms, or it may take a week before neurological involvement is apparent. With secondary encephalitis, the disease may ...

Screening and diagnosis
... Diagnosing encephalitis may involve: Spinal tap (lumbar puncture). The most common way to diagnose encephalitis is to analyze the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord. A needle i...