Encephalitis
什麼是Encephalitis
Encephalitis is a term used to describe an acute inflammation of the brain. A large number of infectious germs can cause encephalitis. Common viruses that cause encephalitis include rabies, herpes, polio, measles, West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, Eastern and Western equine encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis and other groups of viruses, such as enteroviruses that are found in the intestinal tract. Many bacteria and parasites, such as malaria, also can cause encephalitis.
您如何獲得Encephalitis？
A variety of insects (especially mosquitoes and ticks) can transmit some of the germs that cause encephalitis. Other germs, such as rabies, are spread by animal bites that result in encephalitis. Some infectious agents that cause encephalitis can be spread by contaminated food or water.
易感性和抵抗力
Generally, all people are susceptible, but vaccination against some of the viruses creates effective immunity against those germs.
有哪些症狀？
Encephalitis is usually characterised by a sudden fever, headache, confusion, and sometimes seizures. Younger children or infants usually become irritable with a fever and poor appetite. Drowsiness and confusion are often present. A stiff neck indicates that the membrane covering the brain is inflamed (meningitis).
預防措施
腦炎的預防取決於引起感染的細菌。例如，防止蚊蟲叮咬對於預防大量病毒感染（例如日本腦炎，西尼羅河病毒等）非常有效。針對各種病毒感染（例如脊髓灰質炎，麻疹等）的疫苗接種將預防腦炎。一些藥物可能有助於預防細菌和寄生蟲（例如瘧疾）引起的腦炎。避免污染的食物和水，以防止由腸（腸）病毒引起的腦炎。
治療
Treatment depends on the type of germ causing the infection and usually consists of relieving the symptoms. For encephalitis caused by viruses, there are very few drugs that are effective against a limited number of viruses. For bacterial infections, antibiotics are necessary. Steroids (e.g. methylprednisolone) are often used to reduce brain swelling and inflammation. Sedatives may be needed for irritability or restlessness.
驗證
疫苗接種
通常在哪裡發生？
這種疾病，腦炎，遍布世界各地。
