Infections

Memory loss can result from infections that affect the brain. These infections can be caused by a variety of viruses and bacteria, including rabies, West Nile disease, and HIV AIDS. A rare infection, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), causes severe memory loss.

Learn More:

Read Tangled Neuron posts on infection and memory loss:

Chlamydia Pneumoniae and Alzheimer's

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and Alzheimer's

Other resources:

Information about rabies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Information about the West Nile virus from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Neurological Complications of AIDS fact sheet from the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact Sheet from the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke