The encephalitis virus provokes damage to the brain, which leads to its inflammation and the development of many health complications. Encephalitis is an acute inflammation that develops suddenly and is rapidly progressing, therefore it requires emergency medical attention. This pathology can develop as a complication of diseases such as chickenpox, measles, rubella, and even herpes. For example, measles provokes the appearance of encephalitis in one case out of one thousand.
Description and description of the problem
Encephalitis virus is a pathology that leads to inflammation of the brain as a result of its defeat by a viral infection. Mites often become carriers of the pathogen. With his bite, the virus immediately enters the bloodstream and spreads with its current through the body, affecting the central nervous system. Two days after the bite, the virus reaches the brain, and four days later its concentration in it reaches a maximum.
Diseases can be diagnosed in any person, but most often children and elderly people suffer from it. Also, people with a compromised or weakened immune system are prone to contracting the virus, for example, in the treatment of oncology or in the presence of HIV infection, as well as prolonged use of steroid drugs.
Types of disease
In medicine, several types of encephalitis are distinguished, depending on the type of pathogen:
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus is most common, especially in the spring and summer. Doctors therefore always warn of caution when visiting places with tall grass and trees. Probably, many people know who is the carrier of tick-borne encephalitis virus. For those who are not knowledgeable, it should be noted that the ixodid tick carries the infection. When it is bitten, a virus enters the human body, as a result of which, after a few days, a severe headache appears, and body temperature rises.
- Latergic encephalitis A (Economo) develops when the virus enters the airborne droplets. This disease can be diagnosed at any age.
- Encephalitis B is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and birds. In 50% of cases, pathology leads to death within one week.
- Influenza encephalitis develops as a complication of influenza.
- Encephalomyelitis. the causative agent of encephalitis is the measles virus. Pathology develops five days after a measles rash.
- Herpetic encephalitis is considered to be a "slow infection", as it may not manifest itself for a long time. The causative agent of the infection is the herpes virus, which affects the cortex and white matter of the brain.
- Polyseasonal encephalitis is a pathology, the causes of which are not clarified. The disease can be provoked, for example, by tick-borne encephalitis virus or influenza virus, but doctors are not able to find out its exact etiology.
- Pathology with rubella and chickenpox often develops on the eighth day of the course of the disease.
- Toxoplasmosis encephalitis is very rare. The disease acts as a complication of toxoplasmosis.
Types of pathology
In medicine, it is customary to distinguish two types of disease:
- Primary, in which the disease develops when a viral infection enters the brain and spinal cord.
- Secondary, when pathology develops as a complication of an infectious disease that already exists in the body and spreads to the brain.
Causes of the disease
The causes of the development of the disease are the encephalitis virus or other infections that are present in the body and lead to brain damage.
Typically, the causes of encephalitis depend on its variety and form. They may be as follows:
The primary disease often develops due to an insect bite when tick-borne encephalitis virus, as well as herpes, rabies, influenza or Coxsackie virus enter the bloodstream. A secondary disease can provoke a rash type and syphilis, smallpox, rubella, malaria, toxoplasmosis and other infections. Also, the disease can develop as a result of vaccination with DTP, against measles and rubella.
The virus enters the human body in different ways. When insect bites, it enters through the bloodstream, with its current spreads throughout the body. It can also be transmitted by airborne droplets, contact and household routes.
In microbiology, the tick-borne encephalitis virus is well understood. People become infected by an insect bite. Also, infection can occur when the infection gets into small lesions on the skin. Interestingly, ticks infect pets, such as goats and sheep. Therefore, their milk can also be infected, and when consumed by a person in raw form, the virus penetrates into his body. In this case, the disease will be asymptomatic, that is, latent.
Common symptoms
Due to the fact that the virus of encephalitis is well studied in microbiology, the symptoms of this pathology are known in medicine. Of course, the signs of the disease depend on the causative agent of the infection, its course, form and variety. But there are general symptoms for all types of pathology, the manifestation of which is preceded by weakness and a constant feeling of fatigue. These include:
- an increase in body temperature up to forty degrees Celsius;
- catarrh of the upper respiratory tract;
- aches in the body and joints;
- a disorder of the activity of the digestive tract, accompanied by skin rashes;
- noise and photophobia;
- the development of epileptic seizures;
- impaired consciousness and psyche;
- psychomotor agitation;
- coma.
But not all of the above symptoms can develop with this disease.
Signs of the disease
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (igg found in human blood during examination) can manifest itself covertly, abortively and with lightning speed. With an asymptomatic course, a person may experience mild headache and dizziness. With an abortive course, symptoms characteristic of acute respiratory infections appear. The greatest danger is the fulminant development of encephalitis. The pathology proceeds from two hours to two days and ends in death from acute heart failure.
Impairment in encephalitis can also be different, starting with confusion and ending with a coma. A mandatory sign of the disease is a headache: dull, sharp, aching or shooting. It periodically increases. Hallucinations, delusions, psychosis, and inappropriate behavior act as mental disorders in pathology. Often after the appearance of hallucinations, a person falls into a coma.
Also, the manifestation of symptoms depends on the localization of the inflammatory process in the brain. Often there are paralysis and paresis, impaired muscle tone, sensitivity, speech disorder, impaired balance and coordination of movements, hearing and vision, the process of defecation and urination. In each case, the signs of the disease appear in different ways.
Complications and consequences
Encephalitis virus causes a serious pathology of the nervous system. The disease is always accompanied by a violation of blood pressure, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
Complications include:
- Memory loss.
- Mental personality disorders.
- Epilepsy.
- Speech disorder.
- Cerebral edema.
- Coma.
- Fatal outcome.
It is imperative to start treatment on time.
Diagnostic measures
The symptomatology of the disease is insufficient to make a final diagnosis. Diagnostic measures include:
- examination by a neurologist, in which they pay attention to neck stiffness, which is provoked by inflammation of the meninges;
- a blood test in which antibodies (igg) are detected against tick-borne encephalitis virus or other infections that provoked the development of the disease;
- electroencephalography;
- CT and MRI of the brain to determine changes in its structure and exclude tumors, aneurysms, and stroke;
- lumbar puncture (analysis of cerebrospinal fluid).
If antibodies to tick-borne encephalitis virus or to other infections are found in the human blood, the doctor must prescribe a study of cerebrospinal fluid, since with this disease it undergoes changes. When analyzing cerebrospinal fluid, biochemical parameters, protein level and cellular composition are determined.
Therapy
When diagnosing encephalitis, the patient is immediately hospitalized in the infectious or neurological department and a bed rest is prescribed, which in no case should be violated. In some cases, a person is sent to the intensive care unit.
The disease involves treatment, which includes three areas:
- Etiotropic therapy to eliminate the cause of the disease. In this case, the doctor prescribes broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs intravenously, antiviral agents (Acyclovir or Cycloferon), human immunoglobulin (with tick-borne encephalitis).
- Pathogenetic therapy in order to affect damaged brain tissue. In this case, glucolcorticosteroids, decongestants (Mannitol or Diacarb), desensitizing drugs (Loratadin, Zodak), as well as angioprotectors, antihypoxants, vitamin complexes, metabolic and cardiovascular drugs are prescribed. Infusion treatment is also used, which involves the introduction of intravenous fluids to maintain homeostasis.
- Symptomatic treatment to treat individual symptoms. The doctor prescribes antipsychotic and anticonvulsant drugs (Amitriptyline, Diphenin), antipsychotics, antiparkinsonian drugs, and others.
After the main treatment, rehabilitation therapy is carried out to reduce the manifestations of brain tissue destruction. For this, the patient is prescribed physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage.
In most cases, after encephalitis, people develop epilepsy, so they are forced to take anticonvulsant medications for life.
Forecast
The disease has mixed predictions. Most often, encephalitis leads to the development of various health complications, in some cases, patients become disabled. Lightning fast pathology leads to death. Recovery from a disease can last from several months to several years.
Prevention
The most effective way to reduce the risk of encephalitis is vaccination. In this case, we are talking about vaccinations against tick-borne encephalitis, measles, rubella, and other diseases. It is very important to observe precautions in areas where mosquitoes and ticks live, which carry the infection. When staying, for example, in the forest, you need to inspect your underwear and body every few hours. You can use repellents to protect against insects.
What to do if a tick is found on the body?
If a tick was found on the body, you need to know how to remove it correctly. This must be done very carefully and carefully so as not to leave the proboscis in the body. It is recommended to adhere to the following rules:
- Take the insect with fingers wrapped in gauze or cloth in the area of its mouth and turn its body around its axis, and then remove it from the skin.
- Disinfect the wound with alcohol or iodine.
- Wash your hands well.
- Send the tick for research to the laboratory. To do this, it must be placed in a container, which is hermetically sealed, with a small piece of moist cotton wool.
- Contact a medical facility as soon as possible.
Timely referral to the clinic, diagnosis and treatment significantly increase the chances of a full recovery without the development of complications and negative consequences.