Causes
Encephalitis is an infection of the brain. It can be caused by several organisms, especially viruses. The most common include Herpes simplex, the chickenpox virus (varicella), the measles virus and the glandular fever virus (Epstein-Barr virus).
The Herpes simplex virus might attack the brain directly. The others might start as an infection somewhere else in the body and then progress to cause an infection and swelling in the brain.
Symptoms
Encephalitis usually comes on very suddenly. A child with encephalitis develops a fever, becomes lethargic, is generally unwell and might be vomiting. An older child might complain of a severe headache. Without treatment, the illness can progress, causing convulsions and weakness of one side of the body. It might eventually lead to coma.
When to see your doctor
You should see a doctor if your child has:
- an unexplained fever and is generally unwell
- chickenpox, measles or glandular fever and starts to complain of severe headaches, or suddenly appears to be very drowsy.
Treatment
Your child will be admitted to hospital if he has encephalitis. In hospital, he might be given specific antiviral medications, which can be helpful sometimes. He will also be cared for and monitored carefully.
If the encephalitis is severe, especially in younger children, there might be complications such as muscle weakness or speech problems. These might need to be treated.
Prevention
Make sure that your child is fully immunised. This will help to eliminate some of the possible causes, such as chickenpox and measles.
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