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Herpes Virus Causes Rare Brain Swelling and Seizures
3 Dec, 2025
Summary
- A healthy 30-year-old woman suffered brain swelling and seizures.
- Doctors diagnosed her with a rare HSV-2 encephalitis complication.
- Early treatment led to a full neurological recovery.
A previously healthy 30-year-old woman was hospitalized after suffering a seizure and subsequent brain swelling. Medical investigations revealed she had contracted herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), a common sexually transmitted infection, which had led to a rare condition known as HSV-2 encephalitis.
Despite being asymptomatic for HSV-2 and having no prior knowledge of the infection, the virus attacked her brain. Doctors treated her with antiviral drugs and antibiotics. Although she experienced another seizure during her hospital stay, she eventually made a full recovery with no lasting neurological damage.
This case, published in the American Journal of Case Reports, serves as a crucial reminder that HSV-2 can cause severe neurological complications even in immunocompetent individuals. Experts emphasize that clinicians should consider HSV-2 in the diagnosis of new-onset seizures, even without typical symptoms.
