In this week's episode of ER , Mark's mother is given a spinal tap to rule out encephalitis as a cause for her health problems. Encephalitis, a serious disease that can be fatal, can accompany a number of childhood illnesses such as mumps, measles, chicken pox, and mononucleosis. Due to the number of viruses that can cause encephalitis, its seriousness varies, as does its contagiousness. Encephalitis literally means inflammation of the brain.
Viral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by a virus.
Some forms of encephalitis are transmitted by insects like mosquitoes and ticks. A mosquito, for example, can be the carrier of the equine encephalitis virus. When HSV attacks the brain, the infection is fatal in more than half of cases in the abssence of therapy. Fortunately, HSV encephalitis is very rare. Milder forms of encephalitis can accompany or follow childhood illnesses such as mumps, measles, chicken pox, and mononucleosis.