Why do children get encephalitis?

Everyone knows that encephalitis is very harmful, especially when it occurs in children. If it is not treated in time, leaving serious sequelae is not the most serious thing. The most serious thing is that the child loses his life. Therefore, many parents will cry in anxiety when they hear that their children have encephalitis. But why do children get encephalitis? What causes this disease?

Encephalitis refers to an inflammatory lesion caused by the invasion of brain parenchyma by pathogens. The vast majority of causes are viruses, but they can also be caused by infections such as bacteria, fungi, spirochetes, rickettsia, parasites, etc. Some may be allergic diseases, such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Encephalitis usually refers to viral encephalitis and post-infectious encephalomyelitis, which is acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.

Encephalitis can occur in different genders and ages, and is usually acute or subacute. Clinically, it is characterized by symptoms such as high fever, headache, vomiting, coma, and convulsions, most of which are accompanied by changes in cerebrospinal fluid composition. Prevention and treatment should be carried out according to different causes.

Viral encephalitis viruses do not have a cellular structure and are divided into two categories based on the different nucleic acid components: one is the deoxyribonucleic acid virus (DNA virus): including parvovirus, papillomavirus (which causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy), adenovirus, herpes virus, and varicella-zoster virus. The other is the RNA virus: including picornaviruses (poliovirus, coxsackievirus, ECHO virus), arboviruses, myxoviruses (influenza virus), paramyxoviruses (measles virus and mumps virus), arenaviruses (lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus), and rhabdoviruses (rabies virus). Viral encephalitis can be divided into acute, subacute and chronic encephalitis according to the severity of onset. According to the type of virus and the route of infection, it can be divided into arbovirus, enterovirus, respiratory virus, herpes virus encephalitis, etc. Depending on the incidence of the disease, it can be divided into epidemic and sporadic encephalitis. It is generally believed that acute encephalitis represents acute viral infection, while subacute or chronic onset such as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and corticostriatal spinal cord degeneration represent chronic viral infection.

Meningitis can be caused by any viral or bacterial infection. Herpes simplex virus is the most common cause of meningitis in newborns. Sometimes, but rarely, meningitis can follow measles, rubella, or chickenpox. Less commonly, some vaccines contain live viruses that can cause meningitis.

Most cases of encephalitis in children are caused by viral infection. Sometimes, this phenomenon can also occur due to a severe cold. It should be noted that encephalitis is sometimes easily confused with other diseases. Therefore, when a child is feeling unwell, it is best to take the child to the hospital for examination in time to be safer. It is best to go to a regular hospital for timely treatment, and most cases can be cured.