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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThe best way to prevent viral encephalitis is to avoid the viruses that lead to this disease. That means taking steps to prevent genital herpes, for one. It also means making sure you and your children are immunized against viruses that can cause encephalitis, such as chickenpox, measles (rubeola), mumps and German measles (rubella).
To protect yourself and your family against mosquito-borne encephalitis during an outbreak of the disease:
- Dress to protect yourself. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants if you're outside between dusk and dawn.
- Apply mosquito repellent. The Environmental Protection Agency has found only two products — DEET and picaridin — to be effective at controlling insect bites. When you're going to be outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are more active, apply a product containing one of these ingredients to the outside of your clothing and to your exposed skin. Don't spray insect repellent on your face; spray it on your hands and then apply it to your face. Don't use DEET on the hands of young children because they may put their hands in their mouths or eyes. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents not to use insect repellents on infants younger than 2 months of age. Instead, cover your infant's stroller or playpen with mosquito netting when outside.
- Avoid mosquitoes. Refrain from unnecessary activity in places where mosquitoes are most prevalent. Additionally, avoid being outdoors from dusk till dawn whenever possible — that's the time when mosquitoes are most active.
- Keep mosquitoes out of your home. Repair holes in screens on doors and windows.
- Get rid of water sources outside your home. Eliminate standing water in your yard, where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Empty birdbaths, drains, wheelbarrows and flowerpots, and remove old tires and unused containers that might hold water. Drain puddles when possible. Clean your gutters and drain flat roofs regularly.
- Take advantage of nature's mosquito-controlling creatures. Fill ornamental pools with mosquito-eating fish. Consider placing houses for other mosquito eaters, such as bats, in your yard.
- Look for outdoor signs of viral disease. If you notice sick or dying birds, report your observations to your local health department.
A vaccine is available to protect horses from West Nile virus. No vaccine is available for humans, but researchers are working to develop one.
References
- Encephalitis and meningitis fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/encephalitis_meningitis/detail_encephalitis_meningitis.htm. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Tyler KL. West Nile virus infection in the United States. Archives of Neurology. 2004;61:1190.
- Johnson RP. Viral encephalitis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Willoughbly RE Jr, et al. Encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and acute necrotizing encephalopathy. In: Long SS, et al. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/127224884-3/819357724/1679/50.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06687-0..50049-7--cesec19_1078. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Eastern equine encephalitis fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/eeefact.htm. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- St. Louis encephalitis fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/sle/Sle_FactSheet.html. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- LaCrosse encephalitis. Directors of Health Promotion and Education. http://www.dhpe.org/lacenceph.asp. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Peters CJ. Infections caused by arthropod- and rodent-borne viruses. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2895916. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Encephalitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec16/ch217/ch217c.html. Accessed March 21, 2009.
- Voelker R. Effects of West Nile virus may persist. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;299:2135.
- Insect repellant use and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm. Accessed March 22, 2009.
- Follow safety precautions when using DEET on children. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/family/wnv-jun03.htm. Accessed March 22, 2009.
