Pathogen/Cause: What causes the disease (virus, bacteria, fungus, protist, …)?
Encephalitis is a viral infection that has multiple different causes. Encephalitis can be caused by the herpes simplex virus, and although this is rare, this type of encephalitis can cause severe brain damage or even death. Encephalitis can also be caused by animals. If a person were to come into contact with an infected animal (an animal with rabies), or be bitten by one, then the person can contract encephalitis. There is also tick-borne encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis (which are classified under Arboviruses). Tick-borne encephalitis is more common in European countries, and this kind of encephalitis is caused by Lyme disease. Japanese encephalitis is spread by mosquitoes, and is common in Asia. The people who contract this kind of encephalitis are most commonly found on farms.
Transmission: How is the disease caught? Is the disease passed from person to person? How contagious is it?
The disease can be caught from a variety of …show more content…
Primary encephalitis happens when the virus directly infects the brain. This could be caused by a reactivation of a previously inactive virus. Secondary encephalitis is caused by a dysfunctional immune system. This happens when there is another virus in the body, but instead of targeting the virus, the immune system attacks the brain instead. Secondary encephalitis will happen two to three weeks after first contracting the virus. The virus can be diagnosed using a variety of methods. For more mild cases of encephalitis, only physical examinations and/or blood tests are required. However, if a more severe case is suspected, then there are several tests that can be performed. A doctor can perform; a CT (computed tomography) scan, an EEG (Electroencephalography) scan (used to measure brain waves), a spinal tap, or an MRI (magnetic resonance