Viral Encephalitis
Encephalitis is a viral infection of the brain. It may cause headache, stiff neck, irritability, fever, drowsiness, nausea and vomiting. Severe cases may also cause confusion, bizarre behavior or a seizure.
The disease may be spread by close contact with a person who has encephalitis. It may also be spread by mosquitoes, ticks and other insects that carry the virus. It may occur as a complication of a current infection with herpes, measles, mumps, or chicken pox. Rarely, some vaccinations cause this illness.
Except for herpes or chicken pox virus, antivirals are not used to treat this condition. Other medicines can be used to treat the symptoms of this disease. In mild cases, most persons recover fully in 2 to 4 weeks.
Home care
- Rest in bed until you feel better. Stay home from school/work for at least one week to prevent spreading the virus to others.
- Take any medicines as directed. Ask your healthcare provider about taking over-the-counter medicines such as ibuprofen (Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for fever and headache.
- If you have chronic liver or kidney disease or ever had a stomach ulcer or GI bleeding, let your healthcare provider know before using these medicines.
- If you have a fever, drink extra water, sports drinks or other fluids to prevent dehydration.
Follow-up care
Follow up with your healthcare provider during the next week or as directed by our staff. This helps ensure that you are getting better as expected.
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When to seek medical advice
Call the healthcare provider if any of the following occur:
- Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher as well as fever that does not improve with medicine, or as directed by your healthcare provider
- Headache or stiff neck is persistent or gets worse
- Increasing drowsiness, confusion or bizarre behavior
- Not able to keep fluids down due to vomiting
- Trouble walking
Call 911 right away for:
- Weakness of an arm or leg or one side of the face
- Trouble with speech or vision
- Seizure or loss of consciousness
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