The encephalitis virus provokes damage to the brain, which leads to inflammation and the development of many he alth complications. Encephalitis is an acute inflammation that develops suddenly and progresses rapidly, and therefore requires emergency medical attention. This pathology can develop as a complication of diseases such as chicken pox, measles, rubella, and even herpes. For example, measles provokes the appearance of encephalitis in one case in one thousand.
Characteristics and description of the problem
The encephalitis virus is a pathology that leads to inflammation of the brain as a result of its defeat by a viral infection. Often, ticks become carriers of the pathogen. With its bite, the virus immediately enters the bloodstream and spreads with its current throughout 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 its maximum.
The disease can be diagnosed in any person, but most often suffer from itchildren and the elderly. Also, people with a compromised or weakened immune system are prone to be affected by the virus, for example, in the treatment of oncology or in the presence of HIV infection, as well as long-term use of steroid drugs.
Disease types
In medicine, several types of encephalitis are distinguished depending on the type of its pathogen:
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus occurs most often, especially in spring and summer. Therefore, doctors always warn about caution when visiting places with tall grass and trees. Probably, many people know who is the carrier of the tick-borne encephalitis virus. For those who are not aware, it should be noted that the ixodid tick carries the infection. When it bites, a virus enters the human body, as a result of which a severe headache appears in a few days, the body temperature rises.
- Lathergic encephalitis A (Economo) develops when the virus enters by airborne droplets. This disease can be diagnosed at any age.
- Encephalitis B is carried 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. The pathology develops five days after the 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 infects the cortex andwhite matter of the brain.
- Polyseasonal encephalitis is a pathology, the causes of which have not been clarified. For example, carriers of the tick-borne encephalitis virus or the influenza virus can provoke the disease, but doctors cannot figure out its exact etiology.
- Pathology with rubella and chickenpox often develops on the eighth day of the course of the disease.
- Toxoplasmic 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 the pathology develops as a complication of some infectious disease that already exists in the body and spreads to the brain.
Causes of disease development
The causes of the disease are the encephalitis virus or other infections that are present in the body and lead to brain damage.
Usually, the causes of encephalitis depend on its variety and form. They can be as follows:
Primary disease often develops due to an insect bite, when the tick-borne encephalitis virus enters the bloodstream, as well as herpes, rabies, influenza or the Coxsackie virus. 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 ofDPT, measles and rubella vaccinations.
The virus enters the human body in different ways. When bitten by insects, it enters through the blood, with its current it spreads throughout the body. It can also be transmitted by airborne, contact-household routes.
In microbiology, tick-borne encephalitis virus is well studied. Humans become infected when bitten by an insect. Infection can also occur when the infection enters small lesions on the skin. Interestingly, ticks also infect domestic animals, such as goats and sheep. Therefore, their milk can also be infected, and when a person consumes it raw, the virus enters his body. In this case, the disease will be asymptomatic, that is, latent.
General symptoms
Due to the fact that the encephalitis virus 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 common symptoms for all types of pathology, the manifestation of which is preceded by weakness and a constant feeling of fatigue. These include:
- increase in body temperature to forty degrees Celsius;
- upper respiratory catarrh;
- aches in the body and joints;
- disorder of the digestive tract, accompanied by skin rashes;
- noise and photophobia;
- development of epileptic seizures;
- violation of consciousness and psyche;
- psychomotor agitation;
- coma.
But not allthe above signs can develop with this disease.
Signs of disease
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (igg found in human blood during examination) can manifest itself latently, abortively and at 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 fulminant development of encephalitis is of great danger. Pathology lasts from two hours to two days and ends in death from acute heart failure.
Impairment of consciousness in encephalitis can also be different, ranging from confusion to coma. A mandatory symptom of the disease is a headache: dull, sharp, aching or shooting. It increases periodically. Hallucinations, delusions, psychosis, inappropriate behavior act as mental disorders in pathology. Often, after the onset 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, a violation of muscle tone, sensitivity, a speech disorder develops, balance and coordination of movements, hearing and vision, the process of defecation and urination are disturbed. In each case, the signs of the disease manifest themselves in different ways.
Complications and consequences
The encephalitis virus causes a serious pathology of the nervous system. The disease is alwaysaccompanied by a violation of blood pressure, the activity of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
Complications include:
- Memory loss.
- Mental personality disorders.
- Epilepsy.
- Speech disorder.
- Cerebral edema.
- Coma.
- Fatal.
It is extremely important to start treatment on time.
Diagnostic measures
Symptomatology of the disease is insufficient for a definitive 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 that detects antibodies (igg) to the 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 the tick-borne encephalitis virus or other infections are found in a person's blood, the doctor will definitely prescribe a study of the cerebrospinal fluid, since with this disease it undergoes changes. When analyzing cerebrospinal fluid, biochemical parameters, protein levels and cellular composition are determined.
Therapy
When diagnosing encephalitis, the patient is immediately hospitalized in an infectious orneurological department and prescribe bed rest, which in no case should be violated. In some cases, the person is sent to the intensive care unit.
The disease involves treatment, which includes three directions:
- 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 (for tick-borne encephalitis).
- Pathogenetic therapy to affect damaged brain tissue. In this case, glucocorticosteroids, decongestants (Mannitol or Diakarb), desensitizing drugs (Loratadin, Zodak), as well as angioprotectors, antihypoxants, vitamin complexes, metabolic and cardiovascular drugs are prescribed. Infusion therapy is also used, which involves the administration of intravenous fluid to maintain homeostasis.
- Symptomatic treatment to eliminate individual symptoms. The doctor prescribes antipsychotic and anticonvulsant drugs (Amitriptyline, Difenin), neuroleptics, antiparkinsonian drugs, and others.
After the main treatment, restorative 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 suffering from encephalitis, people develop epilepsy, so they are forced to takeanticonvulsants.
Forecast
The disease has mixed prognosis. Most often, encephalitis leads to the development of various he alth complications, in some cases, patients become disabled. The fulminant course of the pathology leads to death. Recovery after an illness can take from several months to several years.
Prevention
The most effective way to reduce the risk of developing 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 take precautions in areas where mosquitoes and ticks live, which carry the infection. When staying, for example, in the forest, it is necessary to inspect linen and body every few hours. You can use insect 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 properly remove it. 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 \u200b\u200bhis mouth and turn his body around the axis, and then get it out of the skin.
- Disinfect the wound with alcohol or iodine.
- Wash your hands well.
- Send the tick to the lab for testing. To do this, it must be placed in a container thathermetically sealed, with a small piece of damp cotton.
- Go to a he alth facility as soon as possible.
Timely contacting the clinic, diagnosis and treatment significantly increase the chances of a full recovery without complications and negative consequences.
