1. Symptoms
Most people with viral encephalitis have either no symptoms or mild flu-like symptoms, such as
the following:
 Headache
 Fever
 Aches in muscles or joints
 Fatigue or weakness
More-serious cases require prompt medical care. Signs and symptoms may include the
following:
 Severe headache
 Fever
 Altered consciousness
 Confusion or agitation
 Personality changes
 Seizures
 Loss of sensation or paralysis in certain areas of the body
 Muscle weakness
 Hallucinations
 Double vision
 Perception of foul smells
 Problems with speech or hearing
 Loss of consciousness
Signs and symptoms in infants and young children may also include:
 Bulging in the soft spots (fontanels) of the skull in infants
 Nausea and vomiting
 Body stiffness
 Constant, inconsolable crying
 Crying that worsens when the child is picked up
 Poor feeding