| Virus | Central Nervous System Syndrome |
Geographic Distribution |
Route/Vector | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNA viruses: | ||||
| Herpes viruses | ||||
| Herpes simplex virus 1 | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human contact, fluids | +++ |
| Meningitis | ||||
| Herpes simplex virus 2 | Encephalitis (neonates) | Worldwide | Human contact | + |
| Meningitis | ||||
| Varicella-zoster virus | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human respiratory, contact | ++ |
| Meningitis | ||||
| Cytomegalovirus | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human contact, fluids | ++ |
| Epstein-Barr virus | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human saliva | + |
| Meningitis | ||||
| Human herpesvirus 6 | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human contact | Unknown |
| Febrile seizures | ||||
Adenoviridae |
||||
| Adenovirus | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human respiratory | + |
| Meningitis | ||||
Papovavirus |
||||
| Jamestown Canyon virus | Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy | Worldwide | Unknown | + |
RNA viruses: |
||||
| Upper respiratory viruses | ||||
| Influenza | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human respiratory | + |
| Exanthematous viruses viruses | ||||
| Measles | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human respiratory | ++ |
| Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis | ||||
| Mumps | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human respiratory | +++ |
| Meningitis | ||||
Rhabdoviridae |
||||
| Rabies | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Animal bite | +++ |
Picornaviridae (enterovirus) |
||||
| Echovirus | Meningo- encephalitis |
Worldwide | Fecal-oral | +++ |
| Coxsackie | Meningo- encephalitis |
Worldwide | Fecal-oral | +++ |
| Polio | Meningitis | Worldwide | Fecal-oral | Rare where vaccinated |
Arboviruses |
||||
| Bunyaviridae | ||||
| California encephalitis virus | Encephalitis | North America | Mosquito | +++ |
| Meningitis | ||||
Alphavirus |
||||
| Eastern equine encephalitis | Encephalitis | United States, Caribbean, South America | Mosquito | + |
| Meningitis | ||||
| Western equine encephalitis | Encephalitis | Western/Central United States, South America | Mosquito | ++ |
| Meningitis | ||||
Flaviviridae |
||||
| Japanese encephalitis | Encephalitis | China, southeast Asia, India | Mosquito | ++++ |
| Meningitis | ||||
| St. Louis encephalitis | Encephalitis | United States, Caribbean, South America | Mosquito | +++ |
| Meningitis | ||||
| West Nile encephalitis | Encephalitis | Middle East, Africa, United States | Mosquito | ++ |
| Meningitis | ||||
Retroviruses |
||||
| Human immunodeficiency virus 1 | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Human blood, semen | ++ |
| Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus | Encephalitis | Worldwide | Rodent | + |
| Meningitis | ||||
+ = infrequent; ++ = occasional; +++ = common; ++++ = very common
MJ Aminoff, DA Greenberg, RP Simon, Clinical Neurology, Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1996;29-30; KA Cassady, RJ Whitley, Pathogenesis and Pathophysiology of Viral Infections of the Central Nervous System. In WM Scheld, RJ Whitley, DT Durack (eds), Infections of the Central Nervous System. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven, 1997; 7-22.
