Encephalitis - Prognosis

Encephalitis symptoms may last several weeks. Most cases of encephalitis are mild, however, and patients recover quickly and completely. They experience no further problems after the disease has disappeared.

About 10 percent of all encephalitis patients die from the infection. The death rate varies, depending on the kind of encephalitis. For example, there aren't any effective treatments for eastern equine encephalitis and the death rate is usually about 30 percent. Herpes encephalitis has one of the highest death rates. With treatment, 15 to 20 percent of herpes encephalitis cases result in death. Without treatment, the number of deaths jumps to 70 to 80 percent.

Some people do experience long-term neurological damage (damage to the nervous system, including the brain) after having encephalitis. The effects include personality changes, memory loss, language difficulties, seizures, and partial paralysis.