Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesCausesSymptomsComplicationsDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Causes
Symptoms
Complications
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Prevention
There are several types of infections, each of which affects different parts of the CNS. These include:
Most people recover from brain infections. But in some cases, the infections can be serious and even life-threatening.
This article explores four common types of brain infections, including their causes and symptoms. It also explains how brain infections are diagnosed, treated, and prevented.
Verywell / Sydney Saporito
Types of Brain Infections
10 Serious Infections of the Spinal Cord
Encephalitis
Meningitis
Several types of bacteria associated withupper respiratory tract infectionscan become invasive and travel through the bloodstream to the brain. Bacterial meningitis can also occur when certain bacteria invade the meninges directly.
The classic signs of meningitis include a suddenfever, severeheadache, stiff neck,photophobia(sensitivity to light), and nausea and vomiting.Being unable to bend your chin to your chest is also a sign of meningitis.
While the symptoms may initially resemble those of a cold or upper respiratory infection, they can quickly become more severe.
Are Meningitis and Encephalitis Contagious?Some forms of bacterial meningitis and encephalitis are contagious and can be spread through close contact.Meningococcal meningitisis one type common on college campuses.If you have recently been in contact with someone with bacterial meningitis or encephalitis, speak with your healthcare provider who may place you on a preventive course of antibiotics.
Are Meningitis and Encephalitis Contagious?
Some forms of bacterial meningitis and encephalitis are contagious and can be spread through close contact.Meningococcal meningitisis one type common on college campuses.If you have recently been in contact with someone with bacterial meningitis or encephalitis, speak with your healthcare provider who may place you on a preventive course of antibiotics.
Some forms of bacterial meningitis and encephalitis are contagious and can be spread through close contact.Meningococcal meningitisis one type common on college campuses.
If you have recently been in contact with someone with bacterial meningitis or encephalitis, speak with your healthcare provider who may place you on a preventive course of antibiotics.
What Are the Different Types of Meningitis?
Traverse Myelitis
Traverse myelitisis inflammation of part of the spinal cord, namely the protective coating on nerves called themyelin sheath. Inflammation of spinal myelin can affect multiple body functions, causing pain,muscle spasms, headache, fever, loss of appetite, limb weakness, and the loss of bowel and bladder control.
Traverse myelitis may also be due to an autoimmune disorder or a viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection. Most people experience a full recovery, but the process can take months to years. There is no cure for traverse myelitis, but the symptoms can be treated.
What Is Outpatient Physical Therapy?
Cerebral Abscess
15 Causes of Headache and Fever and How It’s Treated
Causes of Brain Infections
The pathogenesis (disease pathway) of a brain infection can differ based on the cause. Viruses may be spread through respiratory secretions, while bacterial infections can be passed through close contact or contaminated foods.
Other infections occur only in special situations. Fungal brain infections, for example, typically involve people with severely weakened immune systems who lack the defenses other people have.
Here’s a breakdown of all possible causes of brain infections:
Causes and Risk Factors of Meningitis
Symptoms of Brain Infections
The symptoms of a brain infection will depend on the area of the brain that has been infected, as well as the severity of the infection.
The symptoms for each type of brain infection vary as follows:
Possible Complications of Brain Infection
A brain infection can cause lasting and even permanent damage if the infection is severe or left untreated. Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, the risk of death from infections like meningococcal meningitis remains inordinately high, hovering around 10%.
Those who survive severe events may be left with permanent disabilities, including:
How Brain Infections Are Diagnosed
After taking a thorough history and performing a physical exam, your healthcare provider may recommend the following tests:
When a Lumbar Puncture Can’t Be UsedA lumbar puncture may be used for diagnosis; however, it cannot be performed if there is too much brain swelling because it could worsen the pressure in the brain and cause complications like brain herniation. Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure to watch out for include a headache, blurred vision, vomiting, behavioral changes, muscle weakness, and extreme drowsiness.
When a Lumbar Puncture Can’t Be Used
A lumbar puncture may be used for diagnosis; however, it cannot be performed if there is too much brain swelling because it could worsen the pressure in the brain and cause complications like brain herniation. Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure to watch out for include a headache, blurred vision, vomiting, behavioral changes, muscle weakness, and extreme drowsiness.
How Brain Infections Are Treated
Treatment for a brain infection depends on which type of infection you have. However, early treatment is essential for minimizing complications and dangerous symptoms, so never hesitate to see your healthcare provider if you are concerned.
Therapies used to treat a brain infection can include the following:
The prognosis for a brain infection depends on the severity of your condition, what caused the infection, and how fast treatment was initiated. Most people who experience a brain infection make a full recovery.
The following treatments may be needed for long-term recovery:
Recovery from an infection of the brain will vary depending on the degree of brain inflammation. In some cases, inflammation of the brain can lead to coma and death.
Survival and Mortality
A brain infection cannot always be prevented, but one effective step to take is to get vaccinated. Many causes of bacterial brain infections are now preventable with the following vaccines:
To prevent viral and bacterial infections that can spread to the brain, take regular safety precautions like washing your hands and avoiding contact with individuals who are ill.
To protect yourself against mosquito- or tick-borne illnesses that could lead to a brain infection, use insect repellent when spending time outdoors and opt for long sleeves and pants. Limit your outdoor activities at night when mosquitoes are more active and address any standing water around your home.
Summary
A brain infection is a serious condition that can become life-threatening if left untreated. Examples include encephalitis, meningitis, traverse myelitis, and cerebral abscesses. Complications of untreated brain infections include memory loss, hearing loss, vision problems, seizures, personality changes, loss of bladder or bowel control, and death.
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Meningitis.Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Transverse myelitis.Brook I.Microbiology and treatment of brain abscess.J Clin Neurosci. 2017 Apr;38:8-12. doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2016.12.035Lim JA, Lee ST, Moon J, et al.Development of the clinical assessment scale in autoimmune encephalitis.Ann Neurol.2019;85(3):352–358. doi:10.1002/ANA.25421Ellul M, Solomon T.Acute encephalitis - diagnosis and management.Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Mar;18(2):155-159. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.18-2-155Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About bacterial meningitis.Lim PAC.Transverse myelitis.Essential Phys Med Rehab.2020:952–959. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-54947-9.00162-0Harvard Health Publishing.Brain abscess.Meningitis Research Foundation.90% of children and teenagers who die of meningococcal meningitis die within 24 hours.National Health Service (UK).Complications: encephalitis.John Hopkins Medicine.Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) headache.Hansen MA, Samnnodi MS, Hasbun R.Predicting inpatient mortality among encephalitis patients: a novel admission risk score.Open Forum Infect Dis.2020 Nov;7(11):ofaa471. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa471Buchholz G, Koedel U, Pfister HW, Kastenbauer S, Klein M.Dramatic reduction of mortality in pneumococcal meningitis.Crit Care.2016;20:312. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1498-8Abbatemarco JR, Galli JR, Sweeney ML.Modern look at transverse myelitis and inflammatory myelopathy: epidemiology of the National Veterans Health Administration population.Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm.2021 Nov;8(6):e1071. doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000001071Ko SJ, Park KJ, Park DH, Kang SH, Park JY, Chung YG.Risk factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with brain abscesses.J Korean Neurosurg Soc.2014 Jul;56(1):34–41. doi:10.3340/jkns.2014.56.1.34Additional ReadingMedlinePlus.Encephalitis.MedlinePlus.Meningitis.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Meningitis.Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Transverse myelitis.Brook I.Microbiology and treatment of brain abscess.J Clin Neurosci. 2017 Apr;38:8-12. doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2016.12.035Lim JA, Lee ST, Moon J, et al.Development of the clinical assessment scale in autoimmune encephalitis.Ann Neurol.2019;85(3):352–358. doi:10.1002/ANA.25421Ellul M, Solomon T.Acute encephalitis - diagnosis and management.Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Mar;18(2):155-159. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.18-2-155Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About bacterial meningitis.Lim PAC.Transverse myelitis.Essential Phys Med Rehab.2020:952–959. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-54947-9.00162-0Harvard Health Publishing.Brain abscess.Meningitis Research Foundation.90% of children and teenagers who die of meningococcal meningitis die within 24 hours.National Health Service (UK).Complications: encephalitis.John Hopkins Medicine.Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) headache.Hansen MA, Samnnodi MS, Hasbun R.Predicting inpatient mortality among encephalitis patients: a novel admission risk score.Open Forum Infect Dis.2020 Nov;7(11):ofaa471. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa471Buchholz G, Koedel U, Pfister HW, Kastenbauer S, Klein M.Dramatic reduction of mortality in pneumococcal meningitis.Crit Care.2016;20:312. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1498-8Abbatemarco JR, Galli JR, Sweeney ML.Modern look at transverse myelitis and inflammatory myelopathy: epidemiology of the National Veterans Health Administration population.Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm.2021 Nov;8(6):e1071. doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000001071Ko SJ, Park KJ, Park DH, Kang SH, Park JY, Chung YG.Risk factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with brain abscesses.J Korean Neurosurg Soc.2014 Jul;56(1):34–41. doi:10.3340/jkns.2014.56.1.34Additional ReadingMedlinePlus.Encephalitis.MedlinePlus.Meningitis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Meningitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Meningitis.Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Transverse myelitis.Brook I.Microbiology and treatment of brain abscess.J Clin Neurosci. 2017 Apr;38:8-12. doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2016.12.035Lim JA, Lee ST, Moon J, et al.Development of the clinical assessment scale in autoimmune encephalitis.Ann Neurol.2019;85(3):352–358. doi:10.1002/ANA.25421Ellul M, Solomon T.Acute encephalitis - diagnosis and management.Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Mar;18(2):155-159. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.18-2-155Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About bacterial meningitis.Lim PAC.Transverse myelitis.Essential Phys Med Rehab.2020:952–959. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-54947-9.00162-0Harvard Health Publishing.Brain abscess.Meningitis Research Foundation.90% of children and teenagers who die of meningococcal meningitis die within 24 hours.National Health Service (UK).Complications: encephalitis.John Hopkins Medicine.Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) headache.Hansen MA, Samnnodi MS, Hasbun R.Predicting inpatient mortality among encephalitis patients: a novel admission risk score.Open Forum Infect Dis.2020 Nov;7(11):ofaa471. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa471Buchholz G, Koedel U, Pfister HW, Kastenbauer S, Klein M.Dramatic reduction of mortality in pneumococcal meningitis.Crit Care.2016;20:312. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1498-8Abbatemarco JR, Galli JR, Sweeney ML.Modern look at transverse myelitis and inflammatory myelopathy: epidemiology of the National Veterans Health Administration population.Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm.2021 Nov;8(6):e1071. doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000001071Ko SJ, Park KJ, Park DH, Kang SH, Park JY, Chung YG.Risk factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with brain abscesses.J Korean Neurosurg Soc.2014 Jul;56(1):34–41. doi:10.3340/jkns.2014.56.1.34
Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Meningitis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Meningitis.
Neurological Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Transverse myelitis.
Brook I.Microbiology and treatment of brain abscess.J Clin Neurosci. 2017 Apr;38:8-12. doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2016.12.035
Lim JA, Lee ST, Moon J, et al.Development of the clinical assessment scale in autoimmune encephalitis.Ann Neurol.2019;85(3):352–358. doi:10.1002/ANA.25421
Ellul M, Solomon T.Acute encephalitis - diagnosis and management.Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Mar;18(2):155-159. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.18-2-155
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About bacterial meningitis.
Lim PAC.Transverse myelitis.Essential Phys Med Rehab.2020:952–959. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-54947-9.00162-0
Harvard Health Publishing.Brain abscess.
Meningitis Research Foundation.90% of children and teenagers who die of meningococcal meningitis die within 24 hours.
National Health Service (UK).Complications: encephalitis.
John Hopkins Medicine.Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) headache.
Hansen MA, Samnnodi MS, Hasbun R.Predicting inpatient mortality among encephalitis patients: a novel admission risk score.Open Forum Infect Dis.2020 Nov;7(11):ofaa471. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa471
Buchholz G, Koedel U, Pfister HW, Kastenbauer S, Klein M.Dramatic reduction of mortality in pneumococcal meningitis.Crit Care.2016;20:312. doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1498-8
Abbatemarco JR, Galli JR, Sweeney ML.Modern look at transverse myelitis and inflammatory myelopathy: epidemiology of the National Veterans Health Administration population.Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm.2021 Nov;8(6):e1071. doi:10.1212/NXI.0000000000001071
Ko SJ, Park KJ, Park DH, Kang SH, Park JY, Chung YG.Risk factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with brain abscesses.J Korean Neurosurg Soc.2014 Jul;56(1):34–41. doi:10.3340/jkns.2014.56.1.34
MedlinePlus.Encephalitis.MedlinePlus.Meningitis.
MedlinePlus.Encephalitis.
MedlinePlus.Meningitis.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
