Brain Disorder Common In Summer

Summer is a good time to enjoy the great outdoors. But the warm, sunny weather is also the time that mosquitoes mate and spread numerous diseases like encephalitis.

Encephalitis is the inflammation of the brain that is often caused by a viral infection. It is a life-threatening disease, especially in infants, children and the elderly.

There are two types: primary encephalitis is when the virus directly invades the brain and the spinal cord. This is transmitted by insects like ticks, mosquitoes, lice and flies that carry the virus from infected animals to humans.

“Birds that live near bodies of standing water, such as freshwater swamps, are susceptible to infection with an encephalitis virus. When a bird is infected with encephalitis, it carries high levels of the virus in its blood for a short time before recovering from the infection and developing immunity to the disease. If a mosquito feeds on an infected bird, the mosquito becomes a lifelong carrier of the disease. The mosquito transmits the infection to the next bird it feeds on, which in turn passes it to more mosquitoes,” explained the Mayo Clinic.

Secondary encephalitis is when the virus affects another part of the body and later attacks the brain. This may follow childhood diseases like mumps, measles and rubella. Other cases are caused by herpes viruses that are responsible for cold sores or fever blisters, shingles and chickenpox.

Fortunately, most people who have encephalitis have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Serious cases can cause a severe headache, sudden fever, restlessness, nausea and vomiting. As the disease progresses, there is stiffness of the neck muscles, tremors and drowsiness leading to coma.

“Urgent signs and symptoms in adults may include altered levels of consciousness or mental disturbances. In infants, the key signs are a stiff neck and a bulging in the soft spots of the skull. In older children, watch for severe headaches, sudden personality changes, confusion and sensitivity to light,” warned the Mayo Clinic.

Your risk of getting the disease increases if you have a weakened immune system due to HIV or cancer therapy and if you have an outdoor job or enjoy going out, especially during the summer months when mosquitoes are active.

“Severe viral encephalitis can cause respiratory arrest, coma and death. It may also leave marked mental impairment, which can include loss of memory, the inability to speak coherently, lack of muscle coordination, paralysis, or hearing or vision defects,” the Mayo Clinic said.

There is no specific treatment for encephalitis since the viruses that cause the disease don’t respond to medications. For mild cases, bed rest, plenty of liquids and a healthy diet can help your immune system fight the disease.

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