There is a virus that causes swelling of the brain, what is it?

Question

My friend has been ill for 3 months with a disease that they have now found out to be "viral serabolitus". Im not sure it that's how you spell it but the literal translation is "swelling of the brain". I was wondering if anyone knew what it was? what causes it and how to spell it?

Answer 1

I would have thought it would be viral cerebralitus
Viral just dictates that there is a virus present, cerebral denotes the brain and itus means inflamation.
So it would seem that her brain is swelling due to a viral infection.... other than that, not much more I can add.
It depends where the sourse of this virus came from as to the treatment used.
Hope this was of some help :)

Answer 2

Maybe you mean Encephilitis?

Encephalitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the brain. Encephalitis is usually caused by a virus, but other things, including bacteria, may cause it as well. Although encephalitis sounds scary, it's rarely serious.

What Is Encephalitis?
Encephalitis (pronounced: in-seh-fuh-lye-tus) is typically caused by three different groups of viruses. The herpes viruses fall into one group. They include chickenpox, EBV (Epstein-Barr virus - the virus that causes mono), and herpes simplex (the virus that causes cold sores). The second group is viruses that are transmitted by insects. Viruses like West Nile virus, which is transmitted through a mosquito bite, and Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which are transmitted thorough tick bites, can also cause encephalitis. The third group of viruses is made up of common childhood viral infections. These include measles, mumps, and German measles. Because lots of countries immunize against these diseases, it's rarer today that a person will develop encephalitis as a result of an illness like measles or mumps.

Some cases of encephalitis are mild and symptoms only last for a short time. However, it is possible to develop a severe case of encephalitis that can be serious and possibly even life threatening. When a person has encephalitis, his or her brain becomes inflamed - inflammation means swelling and redness.

Is It Contagious?
Many different viruses can lead to encephalitis. So how contagious the infection is depends on which virus caused it. Viruses like West Nile are only transmitted through the bite of infected insects; it's not possible to catch them from other people. But viruses like EBV are passed from person to person.

Even if a person catches a virus that can cause encephalitis, that does not mean that person will automatically develop the condition. In fact, very few people actually develop encephalitis.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Encephalitis may cause fever, headache, poor appetite, loss of energy, or just a general sick feeling. In more severe cases, other symptoms may occur, including:

high fever
severe headache
sensitivity to light (called photophobia, which means light hurts your eyes)
nausea and vomiting
stiff neck
confusion
sleepiness, difficulty waking, or unconsciousness
convulsions (seizures)
When encephalitis happens after a common illness like chickenpox, the signs and symptoms of that illness come before any inflammation in the brain. But encephalitis can also appear without warning. If you have symptoms of encephalitis, get in touch with your doctor right away.

How Is It Diagnosed and Treated?
To diagnose encephalitis, the doctor may take blood samples and order a spinal tap to remove some cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for testing. CSF is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. A spinal tap (also called a lumbar puncture) is a procedure that involves inserting a very thin needle into the lower back to extract a small amount of CSF. The blood and CSF will then be sent to a laboratory to check for viruses or bacteria. A special brain scan (an MRI or a CT scan) may also be ordered to look for inflammation. A doctor may also order an electroencephalogram (EEG). This test records your brain waves and can reveal whether there are abnormalities that are consistent with an encephalitis infection.

Treatment for encephalitis depends on the virus that caused it. People with mild cases of encephalitis can recover at home as long as they're watched carefully by a parent or other adult in the household. Most cases of encephalitis just run their course and the person gets better on his or her own.

Some viruses that cause encephalitis can be treated with medication. For example, acyclovir, an antiviral drug, can help treat encephalitis caused by the herpes simplex virus. In addition, steroid medications may be used to reduce swelling in the brain (these aren't the same as the dangerous performance-enhancing steroids that some athletes use). Because antibiotics are not effective against viruses, they're not used to treat viral encephalitis.

Severe cases of encephalitis require a hospital stay so the patient can be carefully monitored and medical treatment is close at hand if it's needed. For people who have had severe encephalitis that has affected some of the brain's functions, doctors may recommend physical therapy or speech therapy to help with recovery.

How Long Does It Last?
The worst symptoms of encephalitis generally last up to 1 week, but full recovery may take weeks or longer. Because encephalitis affects the brain, people with severe cases can sometimes develop problems like seizures, difficulties with muscle coordination, and learning disabilities

Answer 3

Try this web site, type in swelling of the brain and see what you get
http://www.WebMD.com
There are several
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Meningitis
Reye's Syndrome

Answer 4

several viruses can cause CEREBRITIS (inflammation of the cerebrum -brain) most commonly called encephalitis
now shaken baby syndrome is NOT a virus, NOR is Syphilis
now there are other "things" that can cause inflammation of the brain or problems with the brain, TB, Syphilis, other bacterial meningitis (inflammation of the layer covering of the brain)

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

Actually several viruses can cause encephalopathy. Google it and I'm sure you can find lots of info

Yes, Syphilis can cause encephalopathy in its tertiary phase (but it is not viral). But that's not what your friend has/had.

Answer 7

viral cerebelluitis,could be herpes virus causes it,also many other,,the only treatment is symptomatic treatment nothing specific antiviral treatment

Answer 8

go to webmd.com and look around there for more info.

Answer 9

Syphilis?