The 5 most dangerous viruses for brain health

Viruses such as COVID-19, rabies, West Nile virus and Eastern equine virus affect neurological health. They can lead to stress, anxiety, mental retardation, seizures, epilepsy and even paralysis.

There has been a massive increase in the number of cases of infectious diseases worldwide, and one of the most common complications of these is inflammation of the brain, which is life-threatening if not addressed well in time.

According to experts, the increase in viruses such as West Nile Fever, Rabies, COVID-19, Dengue and Eastern Equine Encephalitis – known to cause serious brain complications, including encephalitis and meningitis – has increased due to climate change.

Early intervention is essential to prevent severe consequences such as coma or death. Doctors say most viruses affect the lining of the brain, or meninges, leading to:

• High fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Confusion
• seizures
• Inflammation of the brain

5 dangerous viruses for brain health. 1. West Nile virus

Most of the time, West Nile virus, which is spread through mosquito bites and causes skin rashes and muscle aches, doesn’t cause symptoms or a mild, flu-like illness, according to experts.

But it can lead to a life-threatening illness such as inflammation of the brain or encephalitis or inflammation of the lining of the spinal cord known as meningitis.

Being an arbovirus, or a virus you get from an arthropod or insect, West Nile is an RNA virus in the genus Flavivirus. It is spread by infected mosquitoes that can bite you.

2. Dengue

The dengue virus or DENV causes extreme inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, further damaging the body’s cell tissues. In many cases, it also leads to thrombocytopenia, or a low platelet count, which can cause bleeding and eventually death.

According to experts, dengue affects your brain in several ways, including encephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain and seizures. Dengue encephalopathy occurs when the brain is affected by the dengue virus or the body’s immune response.

Symptoms include:

• changes in mental status,
• unusual behavior
• unconsciousness.

Guillain-Barré syndrome, or GBS, is an autoimmune disorder that occurs after a dengue infection, causing muscle weakness, paralysis, and difficulty breathing.
The risk of stroke also increases with dengue due to bleeding or blood clots, according to timesnownews.com.

Dangerous viruses that affect brain health. 3. COVID

The world literally took a break during the Covid pandemic in 2020. According to studies, COVID-19 has both long-term and short-term effects on the brain.

COVID-19 can also lead to various mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression, according to various researches. It increases the risk of various brain conditions, such as stroke and psychosis, even in the next few years.

4. Rabia

Rabies is a dangerous viral infection caused by the rabies virus – which primarily affects the central nervous system. It is usually transmitted through bites and scratches from infected animals – usually dogs, bats and other mammals. Once the virus enters the body, it can travel along the nerves to the brain, where it causes severe inflammation.

According to experts, the incubation period for rabies varies from several weeks to several months, but symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, confusion and hallucinations usually appear within 1-3 months after exposure.

Even though rabies affects people of any age, children are often more vulnerable due to their interactions with animals. Unfortunately, it is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, with a fatality rate close to 100%.

Viruses that affect brain health. 5. Eastern equine encephalitis

Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, can be spread through bites from an infected mosquito. It leads to inflammation of the brain or encephalitis and severely affects the way the brain and nerves work.

It is estimated that about 30% of those bitten by an EEE-infected mosquito develop encephalitis and die from the infection. Apart from that, it also leads to neurological damage that causes mental retardation, epilepsy, paralysis, deafness and blindness.