Table 1

Causes of viral encephalitis

Modified from Chaudhuri and Kennedy,9 with permission.

  • Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1, HSV-2)

  • Other herpes viruses: varicella zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV6)

  • Adenoviruses

  • Influenza A

  • Enteroviruses, poliovirus

  • Measles, mumps and rubella viruses

  • Rabies

  • Arboviruses—for example, Japanese B encephalitis, St Louis encephalitis virus, West Nile encephalitis virus, Eastern, Western, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, tick borne encephalitis viruses

  • Bunyaviruses—for example, La Crosse strain of California virus

  • Reoviruses—for example, Colorado tick fever virus

  • Arenaviruses—for example, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus