encephalitis

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

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

Definition of encephalitis

: 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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Examples of encephalitis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Vulture droppings can also carry a range of diseases such as histoplasmosis, salmonella, and encephalitis. — Justin Rohrlich, Quartz, "Feces from a giant kettle of vultures is disrupting CBP communications on the US-Mexico border," 10 Jan. 2020 But if a mammalian host or other type of bird is bitten and encephalitis develops, the fatality rate can be high. — John Myers, Twin Cities, "Another deadly mosquito-borne disease is found in Minnesota grouse," 23 Nov. 2019 The last time any St. Louis encephalitis-positive mosquitoes were found in those areas was 1987, according to the district. — Los Angeles Times, "St. Louis encephalitis resurfaces in Orange County," 15 Oct. 2019 But despite the potential for venomous and/or crushing reptile bites, the most pressing safety concern explained my long sleeves and head netting—preventing the pinprick puncture of encephalitis-carrying mosquitoes. — Steve Mirsky, Scientific American, "The Outsize Role of Tiny Mosquitoes in Human History," 11 Oct. 2019 Headache and fever quickly spiral into confusion, seizures and coma, all signs of brain swelling, or encephalitis. — BostonGlobe.com, "For two of EEE’s youngest victims, ages 5 and 6, the battle against the devastating virus goes on," 28 Sep. 2019 This is the third case of La Crosse encephalitis in Lake County in the past 10 years, and the first since 2014. — Julie Washington, cleveland, "Mosquito-borne La Crosse encephalitis sickens Lake County resident," 9 Dec. 2019 About 1 child out of every 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis -- swelling of the brain -- that can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability. — Joshua Berlinger, CNN, "Samoa measles outbreak: Government shuts down so everyone can get vaccinated," 4 Dec. 2019 Roughly one-third of people who develop encephalitis die from the disease, and survivors are often left with long-term cognitive damage. — Helen Branswell, STAT, "Why the huge surge in EEE cases? Federal rules requiring quick sample disposal mean we may never know," 27 Nov. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

15 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Encephalitis.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encephalitis. Accessed 27 January 2020.

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More Definitions for encephalitis

encephalitis

noun

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

plural encephalitides\ -ˈlit-ə-ˌdēz

Medical Definition of encephalitis

: 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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