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What Is Herpes Simplex Encephalitis?

Herpes simplex encephalitis is a condition caused by infection with a herpes simplex virus (HSV). The HSV infection can lead to encephalitis, which is brain swelling. It is a serious condition that lead to death. Fortunately, herpes simplex encephalitis is treatable and also very rare. According to herpes-coldsores.com, it affects only two out of every one million people in the United States.

  1. HSV-1

    • HSV-1 is the virus that is responsible for cold sores. It is also responsible for most cases of herpes simplex encephalitis. According to Dr. Robyn S. Klein, it is the leading cause of viral encephalitis, triggering as much as 20 percent of cases. According to herpes-coldsores.com, HSV-1 can trigger encephalitis by traveling from the nose into the sinuses and then to the brain.

    HSV-2

    • Only very rarely does HSV-2, which is the virus responsible for most cases of genital herpes, lead to a case of herpes simplex encephalitis. Dr. Robyn S. Klein reports that most of the cases of herpes encephalitis caused by HSV-2 are found among newborns. In those cases, it is transmitted to the infant through the mother's vaginal secretions.

    Symptoms and Diagnosis

    • The Mayo Clinic reports that most cases of viral encephalitis are accompanied by mild symptoms that may not be long-lasting. These include headache, irritability, tiredness, fever and pain in the joints. However, symptoms that indicate a more serious infection include confusion, hallucinations, change in personality, visual disturbances, seizures, weakness of the muscles, loss of feeling or movement, shaking, rash, fall unconscious, and, in infants, bulging in the head's soft spots. The Mayo Clinic advises immediate treatment for symptoms like changes in consciousness or hallucinations, weakness of muscles or loss of feeling, seizures or mental problems in adults, and stiffness of the body, continual crying, vomiting and bulging of the skull in infants.

      According to herpes-coldsores.com and the Mayo Clinic, a spinal tap is used to diagnose herpes simplex encephalitis. This test enables a diagnostician to detect the virus' genetic material in the spinal fluid.

    Complications

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, the long-lasting effects of surviving viral encephalitis include chronic tiredness, weakness, depression and changes in personality, and trouble with walking and memory. Viral encephalitis can also lead to respiratory arrest as well as coma and death.

    Treatment

    • Herpes simplex encephalitis can be treated with antiviral drugs like acyclovir. This treatment greatly improves chances of survival. Seventy percent of those with the disease who do not get treatment die. Only 30 percent of those who are treated die.

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