Virus – Spinal Cord

A central nervous system disease can affect either the spinal cord (myelopathy) or brain (encephalopathy) of the central nervous system. The central nervous system controls behaviors in the human body, so this can be a fatal illness.

Function of the Spinal cord

The spinal cord includes sensory reception from the peripheral nervous system. It also conducts motor information which consist of the body's skeletal muscles, cardiac muscles, smooth muscles, and glands. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves along the spinal cord. These nerves each contain both sensory and motor axons. The spinal cord is protected by vertebrae, and connects the peripheral nervous system to the brain, and it acts as a ‘minor’ coordinating center.

There are four main causes of infections of the central nervous system (CNS): bacterial, viral, fungal and protozoal.

List of Viral infections

• Viral meningitis
• Eastern equine encephalitis
• St Louis encephalitis
• Japanese encephalitis
• West nile encephalitis
• Herpes simplex encephalitis
• Rabies
• California encephalitis virus
• Varicella-zoster encephalitis
• La crosse encephalitis
• Measles encephalitis
• poliomyelitis

slow virus infections, which include:

• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
• Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
• Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)