[ad_1]
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain caused by an infection or an autoimmune response. World Encephalitis Day is being celebrated on February 22 and is the global awareness day for people who have been affected by this disease. 1 person every minute is affected by encephalitis around the world, yet there is a need to spread awareness about this disease. Encephalitis is a serious condition and requires prompt treatment to lower the risk of complications or death. Common symptoms of encephalitis include headache, sensitivity to light, stiff neck, mental confusion and seizures. There are many types of encephalitis, and the causes vary from a viral infection to an abnormal response of the immune system. Encephalitis can be caused by viruses like herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, varicella zoster virus and enteroviruses. It can also be caused by viruses carried by mosquitoes, ticks and other insects or animals. (Also read: Japanese Encephalitis in India: Symptoms, causes, treatment)
Warning signs of Encephalitis
Symptoms of encephalitis may reflect the specific areas of the brain affected by the inflammation and the type of encephalitis and so they can vary. However, different forms of encephalitis can have overlapping features.
“Infectious encephalitis frequently begins with a flu-like illness (e.g., headache, high temperature). Typically, more serious symptoms follow hours to days, or sometimes weeks, later. The most serious finding is an alterationin the level of consciousness. This can range from mild confusion or drowsiness to loss of consciousness and coma. Other symptoms include seizures (fits), aversion to bright lights, inability to speak or control movement, sensory changes, neck stiffness or uncharacteristic behaviour. Autoimmune encephalitis often has a longer onset. Symptoms vary depending on the type but may include confusion, altered personality or behaviour, severe psychiatric symptoms including psychosis, movements that the person cannot control, clumsiness, difficulty walking, seizures, hallucinations, memory loss or sleep disturbances,” Dr Ava Easton – Chief Executive, The Encephalitis Society told HT Digital.
How prevalent is encephalitis in India?
The global burden of neurological disorders published in 2021 estimates Neuroinfections as nearly the third most common neurological disorder affecting 11.2% population preceded by stroke (37.9%), headache (17.5%) and epilepsy or fits (11.3%). In 2019; the incidence of Encephalitis was 6,10,000 with an estimated 51,900 deaths per year, while that of meningitis was 5,52,000 incidence and 34,700 deaths per year. Encephalitis was most commonly observed in Tamil Nadu followed by Odisha and Andhra Pradesh while meningitis is commonly observed in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states,” says Dr Netravathi M, Professor of Neurology – NIMHANS, Bangalore in an interview with us.
Ways to prevent it
Some of the infectious types can be tackled by vaccination and/or preventive measures against the mode of transmission e.g., mosquitoes or ticks.
Dr Easton suggests ways to prevent outbreaks of infectious encephalitis.
• Improved vaccinations programmes
• Awareness of availability and the need for vaccination (if you live or travel in an endemic area).
• Awareness of encephalitis but also its severe outcomes if it happens;
• Awareness and availability of preventive measures such as insect repellents and environmental controls
• Infectious agents control and monitoring measures and programmes (mosquitos, rabies, ticks) at local and national level
• Education for the general public
Treatment of encephalitis
Recently, improvements in diagnosis and treatments have taken place and these can contribute massively to reducing mortality and morbidity. Unfortunately, these technologies are not always widely available. Especially in low to middle income countries.
“Technologies such as antibody testing to diagnose autoimmune encephalitis, PCR CSF testing to diagnose infectious encephalitis or PET scans which can look for tumours that can be a trigger for autoimmune encephalitis, are all routine in some centres and still a “dream” for other centres.
The situation is similar for other newer technologies such as metagenomic next generation sequencing testing, a new diagnosis tool that can hugely improve finding the cause of encephalitis as it can test against many potential infectious causes, and although quite efficient it is often only used in big research centres. Similarly, sometimes a simple anti-viral treatment for some causes of encephalitis which can reduce hugely mortality for herpes simplex encephalitis, like aciclovir, is not available.
We are eagerly anticipating new research, expected to be released this year, for herpes simplex encephalitis which is trialling a new drug called Dexamethasone, to hopefully improve the consequences of the condition,” says Dr Easton.
Follow more stories on Facebook & Twitter
[ad_2]
Source link
