Question:
The most common cause of meningoencephalitis in children is?
The most common cause of meningoencephalitis in children is?
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Commonest equals enterovirus; HSV is commonest only for severe sporadic encephalitis.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Herpes simplex virus (HSV)
- Enterovirus
- Mumps
- Listeria
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Define the question. Meningoencephalitis means combined inflammation of the meninges and brain parenchyma, and most cases in children are viral (aseptic).
Step 2: Identify the leading viral group. Enteroviruses (coxsackievirus and echovirus) are the single most common cause of viral meningitis and meningoencephalitis in children, especially during summer and autumn, transmitted by the fecal-oral route.
Step 3: Place the other viruses correctly. HSV is the most common cause of sporadic fatal/severe encephalitis and is the most important to treat with acyclovir, but it is not the most common cause overall. Mumps was a frequent cause before vaccination but is now uncommon.
Step 4: Exclude the bacterial option. Listeria is a bacterial cause of meningoencephalitis seen mainly in neonates, the elderly, and the immunocompromised, not the commonest cause in children.
Conclusion: The most common cause of meningoencephalitis in children is enterovirus. This matches the printed key (option B). Remember the contrast: enterovirus = commonest overall, HSV = commonest cause of severe sporadic encephalitis.
Step 2: Identify the leading viral group. Enteroviruses (coxsackievirus and echovirus) are the single most common cause of viral meningitis and meningoencephalitis in children, especially during summer and autumn, transmitted by the fecal-oral route.
Step 3: Place the other viruses correctly. HSV is the most common cause of sporadic fatal/severe encephalitis and is the most important to treat with acyclovir, but it is not the most common cause overall. Mumps was a frequent cause before vaccination but is now uncommon.
Step 4: Exclude the bacterial option. Listeria is a bacterial cause of meningoencephalitis seen mainly in neonates, the elderly, and the immunocompromised, not the commonest cause in children.
Conclusion: The most common cause of meningoencephalitis in children is enterovirus. This matches the printed key (option B). Remember the contrast: enterovirus = commonest overall, HSV = commonest cause of severe sporadic encephalitis.
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