Cold sore virus left mum with brain damage

Cold sore virus left mum with brain damage1 hour agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleEleri GriffithsBBC WalesJane RichardsHelen Edwards has been diagnosed with encephalitis, a condition which had derived from the cold sore virus (HSV-1)Helen Edwards could never have imagined a virus she may have had since childhood would leave her with brain damage.At first, the 74-year-old thought she had flu, but ended up spending 12 weeks in hospital.Doctors diagnosed her with encephalitis - an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes inflamed or swollen, with one in five cases proving fatal. This was caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), also known as the cold sore virus, estimated to affect 3.8 billion people under 50 globally, or 67% of the world's population.It has had a devastating effect on Helen, from Penrhyn-coch near Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, who went from enjoying sea swims and daily dog walks to "struggling to make new memories", according to daughter Jane Richards. "When she returned to her home, she no longer recognised it and could not navigate familiar spaces, even forgetting routes between rooms," said Jane.Encephalitis affects an estimated three people every minute worldwide, yet campaigners warn that awareness remains dangerously low, with 77% of people not knowing what it is. Jane RichardsBefore falling ill, Helen says her mother was "really lively and fit"What is encephalitis?Anyone at any age can get encephalitis, with up to 6,000 cases in the UK each year and potentially hundreds of thousands worldwide, according to Encephalitis International.It happens when an infection invades the brain, with symptoms including a high temperature, fever, confusion, headaches or seizures. However, it is often hard to diagnose it from these alone, and often takes a brain scan or other procedures. It can be caused by a number of viruses - including HSV-1, also known as the cold sore virus. This is primarily transmi...