The Igh Podcast

Acute encephalitis describes a rapidly developing inflammation of the brain and, as you can imagine, is a neurological emergency. Not only is it a life-threatening disease with a mortality rate of up to 15%, it also presents a unique diagnostic challenge for doctors. Patients presenting to the emergency room with common symptoms of encephalitis such as fever, confusion or seizures, could have any number of other conditions which mimic these symptoms. With roughly 6,000 cases per year, encephalitis is relatively rare compared to, say, drug or alcohol misuse which can present in a similar way. As a result, Even once encephalitis is diagnosed there is a further complication. Inflammation can be caused by an external factor, in the case of encephalitis this is usually a virus, but it can also be caused by autoimmune disease in which the body develops an immune reaction against its own proteins. In cases of autoimmune disease, the aim of treatment would be to suppress the immune system and prevent it from caus