Encephalitis
Symptoms
Symptoms of encephalitis may be mild to begin with, but can become more serious over hours or days.
Encephalitis may start off with flu-like symptoms. More serious symptoms include confusion, seizures, difficulty speaking and feeling weak.
Encephalitis needs urgent treatment in hospital. Depending on the cause, treatment may include antiviral medicines, steroids or antibiotics.
Some of the infections that cause encephalitis can be prevented with vaccines, such as the MMR and Japanese encephalitis vaccines.
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain, usually caused by an infection. It's a rare but serious condition.
Page last reviewed: 03/12/2019
Next review due: 03/12/2022