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World Encephalitis Day History

14 February 2025

World Encephalitis Day is the biggest day of the year for people whose lives have been affected by inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis International established this global awareness day on the 22nd February 2014. Since its launch in 2014, World Encephalitis Day has reached 628 million people globally in our efforts to grow global awareness […]

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GENIE – A Portuguese association for autoimmune encephalitis research and care

7 February 2025

By Ana Vasconcelos (GENIE member) On January 24th, at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), we celebrated the official launch and inaugural meeting of GENIE – Grupo de Estudos em Neuroimunologia e Encefalites (translated as Neuroimmunology and Encephalitis Study Group). GENIE is a Portuguese association dedicated to raising awareness, conducting and disseminating research, fostering collaborations, and […]

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Experts call for unified classification system for tick-borne encephalitis

17 January 2025

A recent paper involving Encephalitis International’s CEO Ava Easton has highlighted a critical gap in how we classify tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infections. The research, published in the scientific journal ‘Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases’, brought together an expert panel of European clinicians and scientists with diverse expertise in TBEV infection to create a consensus statement […]

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Support Encephalitis International - Donate Online

6 January 2025

We’re very excited to be launching our new online donation form! This is hosted on our website and will allow our supporters to make a donation in a number of currencies: Great British Pounds, £GBP Euros, €EUR Australian Dollars, $AUD American Dollars, $USD Payments can be made using a credit / debit card, or via […]

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Fundraising for Encephalitis International

20 December 2024

As we near the end of 2024, we want to congratulate all our wonderful fundraisers – over 300 across the world – who have spread awareness and raised vital funds throughout the year. Their generosity ensures we can continue to support the encephalitis community into the future. Our 99 Brain Gamers spent September challenging themselves with […]

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David Brown 1952-2024

11 December 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Professor David W G Brown, MBBS MSc FRCPath FFPH. An internationally renowned public health virologist, David served with distinction as director of the Health Protection Agency’s Virus Reference Department from 2004 until his retirement in 2012, and a visiting professor at LSHTM. After training […]

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Encephalitis International and PPI (Patient & Public Involvement) 

5 December 2024

What is PPI? PPI stands for Patient and Public Involvement in research. It describes how patients and the public can participate in medical research.  It is important that, where possible, patients and the public have the opportunity to be involved in all stages of research.  PPI can include:  sharing lived experience of encephalitis, as a […]

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Autoimmune causes of seizures and epilepsy

25 November 2024

A seizure is a sudden change in behaviour, movement, and/or consciousness due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. While 1 in 10 people will have a seizure during their lifetime, only around 1 in 100-200 will develop epilepsy, which means having repeated seizures over time. There are many causes of seizures and epilepsy. However, […]

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Murray Valley Encephalitis

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)

28 October 2024

Key points: EEE is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. EEE virus is rare but has a 30% mortality rate among infected individuals. Half of survivors have brain or nerve problems. There is no human vaccine for EEE – so prevention is crucial. Introduction  EEE has been in the […]

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Encephalitis International is PIF TICK accredited

21 October 2024

Encephalitis International is proud to be accredited with the PIF TICK. What is PIF TICK? PIF TICK is a UK quality mark for reliable health information. Encephalitis International has received this accreditation from the Patient Information Forum (PIF), which means our health information is trustworthy. Why is it important? The PIF TICK accreditation helps people […]

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Mpox and encephalitis

20 September 2024

Key points: Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, can lead to rare but severe neurological complications. Encephalitis is the most common neurological complication of mpox infection, causing inflammation of the brain. Vaccination and early treatment are crucial in preventing severe outcomes of mpox infection. Introduction When you think about mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), you might […]

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We are closing our X account

16 September 2024

Our account on X, formerly known as Twitter, has been a source of connection and information for our members and wider community for many years. However, after an internal review, we have decided to close it. At Encephalitis International, we aim for everyone to be respected for who they are. Everyone deserves to feel supported […]

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Oropouche virus – what you need to know

29 August 2024

A virus in Brazil has been causing concern for health organisations around the world. Introduction The Oropouche virus (pronounced o-ro-push) has now been described as a ‘mysterious’ and ‘emerging’ threat in the prestigious scientific journal The Lancet (1). In July, authorities in Brazil reported the deaths of two adults from Oropouche fever as a result […]

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Psychology Today - The Inflamed Brain (June)

9 August 2024

Protect Your Brain and Body Health While Exploring the World By Prav Prathapan, Encephalitis International While encephalitis can happen to anyone anywhere in the world, certain regions and travel activities can increase your chances of exposure to the bugs that can trigger this illness. Importantly, in recent years, there has been an increase in the […]

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The encephalitis podcast featuring CEO Dr Ava Easton

Death from encephalitis podcast

7 August 2024

In a recent podcast, Dr Ava Easton, CEO of Encephalitis International, and Prof Arun Venkatesan, Director of the Johns Hopkins Encephalitis Center, tackle a challenging aspect of encephalitis: mortality. This topic resonates deeply with many who have lost loved ones to this condition and addresses a reality that is often difficult to talk about yet […]

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Abi Burton

1 August 2024

From Olympian to Encephalitis to Olympian again! Introduction Encephalitis International is thrilled to hear one of our Ambassadors, Abi Burton, is set to join this year’s Olympics in Paris! But the journey to get here was far from an easy one. Born for greatness Abi Burton’s journey is one of remarkable resilience and transformation. Born […]

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Rebecca Adlington

1 August 2024

Introduction Encephalitis International are enjoying watching our Ambassador Double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington share her expertise at the Paris 2024 Olympics! This summer, Rebecca is hosting the Swimming coverage live in Paris and who better for the role? A personal connection The swimming sports star, who won two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing […]

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The Brain Games 2024

1 August 2024

Back by popular demand, BrainWalk returns but slightly different to how some of our community may remember it. The challenge has had a makeover and returns in September 2024 as The Brain Games – less focussed on steps and more on allowing our community to set themselves any daily challenge for the 30 days of […]

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Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP).

Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) is unveiled by the WHO

11 July 2024

The World Health Organization has published a new toolkit to address neurological disorders called the Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP). Introduction The world of neurology just got a boost. The Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders (IGAP) 2022-2031 is a resource that was created to address the significant global burden of […]

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Mapping the brain

25 June 2024

Scientists have created a brain ‘atlas’ for medical research Introduction In a momentous scientific achievement, an international team of researchers working with the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) have created the most detailed maps of the human brain ever made. This ‘brain atlas’ offers a 3D view of our most complex organ and identifies […]

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Diagnosis of encephalitis

Encephalitis vs. encephalopathy

22 March 2024

Encephalitis and encephalopathy are acute brain conditions which may lead to acquired brain injury or death. The similarity between these words can be traced back to the ancient Greek ‘encephalo’ which means ‘pertaining to the brain’. However, there are some key differences. Encephalitis is an inflammation or swelling of the brain, usually caused by viral […]

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