Most people do not know what encephalitis is, even though about 1.5 million people are affected globally every year.

Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain caused by either an infection or as a result of autoimmune reactions. It can be fatal, and survivors often suffer from acquired brain injuries with lasting, life-altering effects.

Early recognition and treatment can save lives and improve patient outcomes.

The overlap of some encephalitis symptoms with other more common neurological or psychiatric manifestations can often make a diagnosis very challenging, which could risk a delay in correct diagnosis and prompt access to disease-modifying therapies.

Wieslab Diagnostic Services has been testing for autoimmune encephalitis for over 10 years. We have put together a short movie highlighting some of the statistics of a decade of testing. If you find this interesting, more data is available.