Can brains become infected?

Question

I reciently thought of this question: Can a human brain become infected by a virus or other germ? After all, there are many bacteria in the bloodstream. So why can't the brain become infected? Is it just that the fatty content of the brain isn't very ...yummy... for germs? Are there germs that do that, and are simply rare? Or does the brain have special ways to kill these germs before they can get there? I have never heard of a "brain infection" other than cancer or a mental disease, and that's not what i'm talking about.

Answer 1

Ever heard of "Ecephalitis"? It means inflammation of the brain, usually due to infection. There aren't hardly any bacteria in the bloodstream, and if there are, your body is fighting them. There are, however, bacteria in your stomach and intestines that help you break-down food.
Yes, your brain does have a protection method. You see, your blood doesn't actually touch your brain, your brain is surrounded by "cerebro-spinal fluid". What separates the blood and cerebro-spinal fluid is the "Blood-Brain Barrier". It's some very tightly knit cells that keep all the germs out. However some do come across, for instance the disease "SSPE" is when a measels infection infects the brain. Rabies kills by infecting the brain, and has very little other functions. But yes, diseases that infect the brain are rare, and a measles infection reaching the brain is very rare.
I should also mention that there is no fatty tissue in the brain, just nerve cells and specialized "glial" cells.

Also, meningitis is not an infection of the brain, but of the "meninges" which protect the brain from trauma. And I don't know how an infection of the brain could manifest on someone's exterior.

Answer 2

Of course! My nephew had Encephalitis which is an inflammation of the brain caused by infection. There are many brain diseases including Meningitis, Encephalitis, Myelitis (coming from the spinal chord), and Abscess which is an accumulation of infectious material and offending microorganisms within the CNS. My nephew got his Encephalitis from swimming in one of those small disposable pools that is obviously not chlorinated and had a bug or two in it. One of the bugs gave him the infection. My niece also got Encephalitis but it manifested on her exterior and the two (being twins) were actually a case study at Loma Linda. I don't know how common or rare this is, but it certainly was easy for them to get... just going down the street to a friends house to play.