Viral Meningitis
• Definition
· Viral meningitis is a viral infection of the meninges (layers of tissues surround the brain and spinal cord).
• Overview
· Viral meningitis infection is a common type of infection with an incidence of about 20 cases per 100,000
people per year.
· Viral meningitis is also known as aseptic meningitis as the infecting organism is often not identified and is presumed to be viral.
· Viral meningitis symptoms are similar but less severe than bacterial meningitis.
• Types
· Most cases of viral meningitis are due to enteroviral (viruses that typically infect the gut) infections.
· 80% of these cases are due to:
· Echovirus
· Coxsackie virus.
· The next most common types of viral meningitis are:
· Mumps virus
· The Herpes viruses:
· Herpes virus HSV-2
· Varicella zoster (chicken pix virus)
· Herpes virus HSV-1(Herpes simplex)
· Epstein Barr virus (infectious mononucleosis virus)
· Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
· Also known to cause viral meningitis are:
· adenovirus
· West Nile virus
· HIV
• Symptoms
· Viral meningitis symptoms include:
· High fevers to 104 F
· Headache worse when looking at bright lights
· Neck pain and stiffness worse with extending legs or bending neck forward
· Fatigue
· Confusion
· A rash may be present on the head and neck with infection of echovirus and Coxsackie virus.
• Complications
· A rare complication of meningitis is encephalitis (infection of the brain)
• Treatment
· Treatment depends on the infecting organism.
· Other than an infection with the herpes virus, treatment is supportive care by a physician.
References
Sejvar J: The evolving epidemiology of viral encephalitis. Curr Opin Neurol 19:350, 2006 [PMID: 16914972]
Posted on September 24, 2008
