encephalitis

noun en·ceph·a·li·tis \ in-ˌse-fə-ˈlī-təs \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of encephalitis

plural encephalitides play \in-ˌse-fə-ˈli-tə-ˌdēz\

: inflammation of the brain that is caused especially by infection with a virus (such as herpes simplex or West Nile virus) or less commonly by bacterial or fungal infection or autoimmune reaction

Note: Encephalitis may be asymptomatic or present with mild to severe symptoms (such as fever, headache, confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness) sometimes progressing to coma or death.

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encephalitic

play \in-ˌse-fə-ˈli-tik\ adjective

See encephalitis defined for kids

Recent Examples of encephalitis from the Web

One particularly upsetting case cited by Czech is that of Herta Schreiber, a 3-year-old patient with signs of disturbed mental and physical development who also had encephalitis.

— gianluca mezzofiore, CNN, "Pioneering physician Asperger sent children to their deaths, study claims," 19 Apr. 2018
Among Czech’s findings is a photo of Herta Schreiber, a 3-year-old girl who suffered from encephalitis and died three months after being admitted to the clinic on Asperger’s orders.

— Fox News, "Doctor who gave Asperger syndrome its name helped Nazis kill children, study says," 19 Apr. 2018
Sam contracted eosinophilic meningo-encephalitis, from which many people recover — and, initially at least, Sam seemed to be rallying.

— Fox News, "Teen left severely disabled after swallowing slug looks to family, friends for support," 2 Apr. 2018
In 2016, after a massive, decades-long vaccination campaign, the World Health Organization declared Latin America free of measles — the highly contagious virus that curses the young and can cause pneumonia, encephalitis and even death.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "A measles outbreak in ailing Venezuela is threatening Colombia and Brazil | Miami Herald," 26 Mar. 2018
Viral infections, however, can cause encephalitis, a condition where the brain swells.

— lindsey bever, chicagotribune.com, "Doctors said to let a teen's sinus infection 'run its course,' family says. Weeks later, he died.," 16 Mar. 2018
Viral infections, however, can cause encephalitis, a condition where the brain swells.

— lindsey bever, BostonGlobe.com, "Doctors said to let a teen’s sinus infection ‘run its course,’ family says. Weeks later, he died.," 16 Mar. 2018
About one recipient in 100,000 suffers a dangerous reaction like jaundice, hepatitis or encephalitis, Dr. Marques said, and about one in a million dies.

— New York Times, "Yellow Fever Circles Brazil’s Huge Cities," 5 Mar. 2018
Other pieces are longer, more introspective and cover a lengthy span of time, such as the chapter about falling ill with encephalitis as a child, an episode that set the stage for the rest of her life.

— laurie hertzel, Detroit Free Press, "Books: ‘I Am’ recounts author’s 17 brushes with death," 17 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'encephalitis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of encephalitis

1843

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Medical Dictionary

encephalitis

noun en·ceph·a·li·tis \ in-ˌsef-ə-ˈlīt-əs \

medical Definition of encephalitis

plural encephalitides play \-ˈlit-ə-ˌdēz\

: inflammation of the brain that is caused especially by infection with a virus (such as herpes simplex, varicella zoster, or West Nile virus) or less commonly by bacterial or fungal infection or autoimmune reaction

Note: Encephalitis may be asymptomatic or present with mild to severe symptoms (such as fever, headache, confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness) sometimes progressing to coma or death.

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