What causes viral encephalitis?
Viral encephalitis may be caused by any of the following different viruses: • Mosquito-borne or tick-borne viruses: You may get encephalitis from a virus you after being bitten by an infected mosquito or tick. These include the LaCrosse, St. Louis, West Nile, and Japanese B encephalitis viruses. Viral encephalitis caused by any of these viruses may be more common during summer months. It may also occur as an outbreak. • Herpes viruses: You may get encephalitis from a virus that you have had for many years. An example would be the herpes simplex virus (HSV) which causes cold sores or genital herpes. The viruses, which cause infectious mononucleosis, chickenpox, and shingles, may also infect the brain. These viruses may lie dormant (sleeping) in your body for many years and cause encephalitis later in life. • Other viruses: Viral infections, commonly seen in children, may cause encephalitis shortly after the illness. These include measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles). You may hav
Viral encephalitis may be caused by many different viruses, including the following: • Mosquito-borne or tick-borne viruses: You may get encephalitis from a virus after being bitten by an infected mosquito or tick. These include the LaCrosse, St. Louis, West Nile, and Japanese B encephalitis viruses. Viral encephalitis caused by any of these viruses may be more common during summer months. It may also occur as an outbreak. • Herpes viruses: You may get encephalitis from a virus that you have had for many years. An example would be the herpes simplex virus (HSV) which causes cold sores or genital herpes. The viruses which cause infectious mononucleosis, chickenpox, and shingles, may also infect the brain. These viruses may not be active in your body for many years and then cause encephalitis later in life. • Other viruses: Viral infections, commonly seen in children, may cause encephalitis shortly after the illness. These include measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles). You may hav
