What Is Encephalitis?
2. How Do You Get Encephalitis?
Any viral illness can trigger encephalitis, even an upper respiratory infection. The most common cause of encephalitis is the herpes simplex virus, which also causes cold sores and genital herpes. The varicella zoster virus, as well as childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, and chickenpox, can cause brain inflammation as well.
Viruses spread by mosquitos, such as the West Nile virus, can precede encephalitis. Ticks can also spread preceding viruses, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Less often, a parasite, such as toxoplasmosis, can cause encephalitis when contracted by someone with a weakened immune system.
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