Encephalitis

May 16, 2024

Encephalitis care at Mayo Clinic

Your Mayo Clinic care team

Mayo Clinic's encephalitis team includes experts who specialize in the brain and nervous system (neurologists), brain imaging (neuroradiologists) and infectious diseases. Specialists in neuro-infectious diseases also are often involved in care.

Doctors at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota have experience evaluating and treating children with encephalitis (pediatric neurologists). Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota also offers care for children with encephalitis in the Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital.

Having all of this subspecialized expertise in a single place, focused on you, means that you're not just getting one opinion. Appointments are scheduled in coordination and care is discussed among the team. Highly specialized encephalitis experts all work together to determine what's best for you or your child.

Advanced diagnosis and treatment

Encephalitis can be overlooked because symptoms are similar to other conditions. Mayo Clinic specialists have experience recognizing the clinical characteristics of encephalitis. Mayo Clinic also has advanced brain imaging to assist with diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment of encephalitis are important to prevent serious complications.

Latest research

Infectious diseases of the nervous system are among the most challenging neurological disorders. A major focus of Mayo Clinic researchers is to develop new diagnostic markers and treatments for encephalitis.

Expertise and rankings

Experience

Mayo Clinic healthcare professionals care for and treat over 1,800 people with encephalitis each year. Early treatment is important to prevent serious complications of encephalitis. Mayo Clinic specialists have experience recognizing the clinical characteristics of encephalitis.

Teamwork

Mayo Clinic neurologists, neuroradiologists and infectious disease specialists work together to diagnose and treat adults and children with encephalitis. Pediatric neurologists at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota may be involved in diagnosing and treating children with encephalitis. Specialists at the Neuro-Infectious Diseases Group are frequently involved in care.

  1. Bennett JE, et al. Encephalitis. In: Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2020. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  2. Krogstad P, et al. Acute viral encephalitis in children: Clinical manifestations and diagnosis. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  3. Ferri FF. Encephalitis, acute viral. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2022. Elsevier; 2022. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  4. AskMayoExpert. Viral encephalitis. Mayo Clinic; 2022.
  5. Gluckman SJ. Viral encephalitis in adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  6. Encephalitis. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/encephalitis#. Accessed March 10, 2024.
  7. Bradshaw MG, et al. Emergency evaluation and management of encephalitis and myelitis in adults. Seminars in Neurology. 2019; doi:10.1055/s-0038-1676845.
  8. Gundamraj V, et al. Viral meningitis and encephalitis: An update. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2023; doi:10.1097/QCO.0000000000000922.
  9. Krogstad P, et al. Acute viral encephalitis in children: Treatment and prevention. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  10. Daroff RB, et al. Viral encephalitis and meningitis. In: Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  11. Zachary KC. Acyclovir: An overview. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  12. Breisch N. Prevention of arthropod and insect bites: Repellents and other measures. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  13. West Nile virus prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html. Accessed April 5, 2022.
  14. Dubey D, et al. Autoimmune encephalitis epidemiology and a comparison to infectious encephalitis. Annals of Neurology. 2018; doi:10.1002/ana.25131.
  15. Thomas AR. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. Jan. 3, 2024.
  16. Krogstad P, et al. Acute viral encephalitis in children: Treatment and prevention. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 13, 2022.
  17. Singh TD, et al. Predictors of outcome in HSV encephalitis. Journal of Neurology. 2016; doi:10.1007/s00415-015-7960-8.
  18. Wormser GP, et al. Update and commentary on four emerging tick-borne infections: Ehrlichia muris-like agent, borrelia miyamotoi, deer tick virus, heartland virus, and whether ticks play a role in transmission of bartonella henselae. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2015; doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.02.009.
  19. Howe CL, et al. Neuroprotection mediated by inhibition of calpain during acute viral encephalitis. Scientific Reports. 2016; doi:10.1038/srep28699.
  20. Medical review (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. April 14, 2022.
  21. Ferri FF. Antibody-mediated autoimmune encephalitis. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2024. Elsevier; 2024. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 10, 2024.
  22. Trewin BP, et al. Immunotherapy in autoimmune encephalitis. Current Opinion in Neurology. 2022; doi:10.1097/WCO.0000000000001048.
  23. Abbuehl LS. Can we forecast poor outcomes in herpes simplex and varicella zoster encephalitis? A narrative review. Frontiers in Neurology. 2023; doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1130090.
  24. AskMayoExpert. Autoimmune and paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2023.

MAC-20356144