Deadly viruses: the 5 most dangerous viruses in the world that can affect your brain

There has been a significant increase in the number of infections that cause brain inflammation worldwide. Most of these infections are fatal if not treated in time, and this requires diagnosing the condition.

According to experts, the rise of viruses such as West Nile fever, rabies, COVID-19, dengue and eastern equine encephalitis (which are known to cause serious brain complications such as encephalitis and meningitis) has increased due to climate change. Early intervention is critical to prevent serious consequences such as coma or death.

How do viruses affect your brain?

Doctors say most viruses affect the lining of the brain, or meninges, causing:

According to experts, most of the time, West Nile virus, which spreads through mosquito bites and causes rashes and muscle aches, causes no symptoms or a mild flu-like illness. But it can cause 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 that is transmitted from an arthropod or insect, West Nile virus is an RNA virus of the genus flavivirus It is spread through infected mosquitoes that may bite you.

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 through the nerves to the brain, where it causes severe inflammation.

According to experts, the incubation period for rabies varies – it can range from a few weeks to several months – but symptoms, such as fever, headache, fatigue, confusion and hallucinations, typically appear between one and three months after exposure. Although rabies affects people of any age, children are often more vulnerable due to their interactions with animals. Unfortunately, it is always nearly fatal once symptoms appear, with a mortality rate of close to 100 percent.

The entire world has witnessed the destruction caused by COVID-19 since the pandemic broke out in 2020. According to studies, COVID-19 has both long-term and short-term effects on the brain.

According to various studies, COVID-19 can also cause various mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety and depression. It increases the risk of suffering from various brain diseases, such as strokes and psychosis, even in the coming years.

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

According to experts, dengue affects the brain in several ways, including encephalitis, which causes brain inflammation 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 and loss of consciousness.

Guillain-Barré syndrome or GBS is an autoimmune disorder that occurs after a dengue infection and causes muscle weakness, paralysis and breathing difficulties.

The risk of stroke also increases with dengue due to bleeding or blood clots.

Eastern equine encephalitis

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) can be transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. It causes brain inflammation, or encephalitis, and severely affects brain and nerve function. It is estimated that about 30 percent of people bitten by an EEE-infected mosquito develop encephalitis and die from the infection.

Apart from that, it also causes neurological damage leading to mental retardation, epilepsy, paralysis, deafness and blindness.