Encephalitis News

September 4, 2016

Study Unveils How West Nile Virus Evades ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:52pm EDT

Researchers Find Herpes Strain in the Nervous System

Aug. 19, 2016 — There are a couple strains of herpes so common that researchers estimate 90% of the human population have them. These strains, human herpes 6 and human herpes 7, usually do ... read more

Memory Loss Caused by West Nile Virus Explained

June 22, 2016 — Thousands of West Nile virus survivors live with neurological problems such as memory loss that last for years. New research shows that these long-term problems may be due to ... read more

Early Warning: Current Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine Might Not Protect

May 3, 2016 — Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the leading cause of viral encephalitis (infection of the brain) in Asia. There is no specific treatment for Japanese encephalitis (JE) which can cause death or ... read more

Aerial Spraying to Combat Mosquitoes Linked to Increased Risk of Autism in Children

Apr. 30, 2016 — New research suggests that the use of airplanes to spray anti-mosquito pesticides may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder and developmental ... read more

Immuno-Psychiatry: When Your Body Makes Its Own 'Angel Dust'

Apr. 26, 2016 — A new study reports structural brain damage from an autoimmune encephalitis that impairs behavior in ways that are somewhat similar to the effects of "angel dust". The body sometimes makes substances ... read more

New Virus Transmission Route Discovered in Pigs

Feb. 23, 2016 — Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus causes serious inflammation of the brain in people and fertility problems in pigs. Mosquitoes were previously the only known transmission route. However, the virus ... read more

Mosquito-Borne Virus May Lead to Severe Brain Infection

Nov. 25, 2015 — The mosquito-borne virus chikungunya may lead to severe brain infection and even death in infants and people over 65, according to a new study that reviewed a chikungunya outbreak on Reunion Island ... read more

Coronavirus Breakthrough: Protein Mutation Affects Spread and Virulence of Respiratory Virus

Nov. 10, 2015 — Researchers have discovered that a mutation in a coronavirus protein slows the spread of the virus in the central nervous system and reduces its ... read more

Keep Up Your Guard for West Nile Virus, Experts Say

Aug. 10, 2015 — Researchers continue to study ways to nip the West Nile virus in the bud and monitor its spread by tracking rainfall, groundwater levels, mosquito abundance, wild bird ... read more

Enzyme Inhibitors Suppress Herpes Simplex Virus Replication, Study Finds

Dec. 18, 2014 — A family of molecules known as NTS enzyme inhibitors are promising candidates for new herpes virus treatments, a new study shows. The findings could lead to new treatment options for herpes that ... read more

85 Killed in Niger by Meningitis Since Start of Year

California College Student Diagnosed With Meningitis-Related Infection

Michigan Authorities to Coordinate Meningitis Probe

Eighth Case of Meningitis Confirmed at Princeton

Novel Method for Storing and Transporting Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples for Diagnosis of JEV

Mar. 17, 2016 — In resource poor areas patient samples often have to travel long distances for suitable diagnosis. Filter paper is currently used for the storage and transport of dried blood samples, however there ... read more

New Disease-Carrying Mosquito Arrives in British Columbia, Canada

Nov. 9, 2015 — Scientists are studying an invasive, disease-carrying mosquito, Aedes japonicus, after finding it for the first time in Western Canada. The mosquitoes could poise a significant hazard to health if ... read more

Novel Mechanism for Invasion of EV71 Virus Demonstrated

July 18, 2014 — A novel mechanism for EV71 entry mediated by its receptor SCARB2 has been reported by scientists. These findings make a significant conceptual advance in the understanding of non-enveloped virus ... read more

Faster DNA Sleuthing Saves Critically Ill Boy

June 4, 2014 — A 14-year-old boy's turnaround and quick recovery after mysteriously being stricken by brain-inflaming encephalitis -- which led to him being hospitalized for six weeks and put into a medically ... read more

Target for Treating Dengue Fever Discovered

Apr. 17, 2014 — New research may help scientists develop treatments or vaccines for dengue fever, West Nile virus, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and other disease-causing flaviviruses. More than 40 percent of ... read more

Viral Therapy Shows Promise Against Brain Tumors

Apr. 8, 2014 — A genetically engineered herpes simplex viral therapy is safe when used in conjunction with radiation in the treatment of malignant gliomas, one of the most deadly forms of brain cancer, researchers ... read more

A Virus Changes Its Stripes: Human Outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Aug. 22, 2013 — In the summer of 2010, the eastern Panamanian province of Darien experienced a phenomenon that had never been seen before in Latin America: a human outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis. Scientists ... read more

Conditions Most Likely to Kill Encephalitis Patients Identified

Aug. 20, 2013 — People with severe encephalitis — inflammation of the brain — are much more likely to die if they develop severe swelling in the brain, intractable seizures or low blood platelet counts, ... read more

Isolated Psychiatric Episodes Rare, but Possible, in Common Form of Autoimmune Encephalitis

July 26, 2013 — A small percentage of people diagnosed with a mysterious neurological condition may only experience psychiatric changes - such as delusional thinking, hallucinations, and aggressive behavior - ... read more

Organ Transplantation as Source of Fatal Rabies Virus Case

July 23, 2013 — An investigation into the source of a fatal case of raccoon rabies virus exposure indicates the individual received the virus via a kidney transplant 18 months earlier, findings suggesting that ... read more

Black-Legged Ticks Linked to Encephalitis in New York State

July 15, 2013 — The number of tick-borne illnesses reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on the rise. Lyme disease leads the pack, with some 35,000 cases reported annually. In the ... read more

How Antibodies Neutralize Mosquito-Borne Virus

Apr. 2, 2013 — Researchers have learned the precise structure of the mosquito-transmitted chikungunya virus pathogen while it is bound to antibodies, showing how the infection is likely ... read more

Surveillance System Can Identify and Track Emerging Infectious Diseases

Feb. 8, 2013 — A team of researchers developed a method to identify the cause of infectious disease outbreaks based on online reports about the symptoms, the season, and the ratio of cases to fatalities. Using data ... read more

Cats and Humans Suffer from Similar Forms of Epilepsy

Feb. 1, 2013 — Epilepsy affects the very core of our being, our brain. Epileptic attacks can lead to seizures throughout the body or in parts of it. Clouding of consciousness or memory lapses are also possible. ... read more

Brain Displays an Intrinsic Mechanism for Fighting Infection

Dec. 10, 2012 — White blood cells have long reigned as the heroes of the immune system. When an infection strikes, the cells, produced in bone marrow, race through the blood to fight off the pathogen. But new ... read more

Mosquito Virus Could Lead to New Vaccines and Drugs

Sep. 21, 2012 — The newly discovered Eilat virus is closely related to some of the world's most dangerous pathogens but incapable of infecting non-insect hosts. This attribute could make the virus a uniquely ... read more

Public Urged to Take Precautions Against West Nile Virus

Sep. 10, 2012 — West Nile virus (WNV) has become endemic in North America with cases in 2012 exceeding that of any other year. Health care professionals and the public need to be on alert for WNV, medical ... read more

Bats, a Reservoir of Resurgent Viruses

July 24, 2012 — Measles, mumps, pneumonia, influenza and encephalitis in man, Carré's disease in dogs, Ovine Rinderpest (PPR)… all of these diseases are caused by viruses from the same family: ... read more

Bartonella Infection Associated With Rheumatoid Illnesses in Humans

Apr. 23, 2012 — A bacterium historically associated with cat scratch fever and transmitted predominately by fleas may also play a role in human rheumatoid illnesses such as arthritis, according to new ... read more

Early Treatment Improves Outcomes in Rare, Often Undiagnosed Form of Encephalitis

Apr. 20, 2012 — A mysterious, difficult-to-diagnose, and potentially deadly disease that was only recently discovered can be controlled most effectively if treatment is started within the first month that symptoms ... read more

Thursday, March 17, 2016