Encephalitis

Encephalitis is a rare, serious condition that causes inflammation in your brain so that it swells. It can occur as a result of an infection or an autoimmune process. Encephalitis can be life-threatening, regardless of the cause, and can cause long-term complications and medical issues. Treatment varies depending on the cause, but most people with encephalitis require hospitalization so they can receive intensive treatment, including life support measures.

Types of encephalitis

Condition types include infective encephalitis and autoimmune encephalitis. Infective encephalitis includes:

• Viral encephalitis: This is the most common form of encephalitis. You can develop viral encephalitis after having certain infectious diseases or viruses.
• Arbovirus encephalitis: Mosquitos, fleas and ticks can spread infections that can become encephalitis.
• Bacterial or fungal encephalitis: Encephalitis from bacterial or fungal infections is the least common type of the condition.

In autoimmune encephalitis, your immune system mistakenly attacks your brain, causing inflammation that may affect how your brain works. This sometimes happens to people with cancer. Healthcare providers call this paraneoplastic syndrome.