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West Nile virus
With the exception of herpes simplex and varicella-zoster encephalitis, the viral forms of encephalitis are not treatable. The primary objective is to diagnose the patient as soon as possible so they receive the right medicines to treat the symptoms. It is very important to lower fever and ease the pressure caused by swelling of the brain.
Patients with very severe encephalitis are at risk for body-wide (systemic) complications including shock, low oxygen, low blood pressure, and low sodium levels. Any potentially life-threatening complication should be addressed immediately with the appropriate treatments.
Since it is difficult to determine the cause of encephalitis, and rapid treatment is essential, clinical guidelines recommend immediately administering intravenously the antiviral drug acyclovir without waiting to determine the cause of the illness.
Once the doctor receives results from diagnostic tests, drug treatment depends on the cause of the encephalitis. Antiviral drug treatments for specific causes of encephalitis include:
For bacterial meningitis, antibiotics (not antiviral drugs) are used.
Other encephalitis treatments are aimed at reducing symptoms.
No specific drugs have been effective for treating arboviruses, including West Nile virus. A number of drugs used to treat other virus infections are being investigated. They include interferon alfa 2a (Roferon-A) and other interferons.
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