A NEUROI ECTIOUS disease specialist on Monday urged the public to recognize the early signs of encephalitis, ahead of World Encephalitis Day on Feb. 22.
In an exclusive interview with The Manila Times, Dr. Ferron Ocampo explained that encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain that affects three people every minute worldwide.
“It can be classified into two types: infectious and autoimmune. Infectious encephalitis is caused by bacteria or viruses, which may be transmitted through respiratory secretions or other routes. Autoimmune encephalitis, on the other hand, occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells, triggering inflammation,” he said.
Ocampo noted that awareness of encephalitis remains low in the Philippines, with no concrete data on its prevalence.
“It presents with usual symptoms that are seen in other diseases, and it can present in a nonspecific manner, meaning it can be a flu-like symptom or other symptoms that resemble other diseases. So we don’t know the actual prevalence here in the Philippines,” he said.
He stressed the importance of the FLAMES initiative — Flu-like symptoms, Loss of consciousness, Acute headache, Memory problems, Emotional or behavioral changes, and Seizures — which was developed by Encephalitis International to promote early detection and save lives.
“This is a recall tool to actually inform the public as well as medical professionals of the six urgent warning signs of encephalitis. So if you have this sort of recall tool and it’s disseminated or introduced to the public, this is how we raise awareness,” he said.
The initiative aims to tap community leaders, such as village health workers and municipal health officers, to disseminate the need for early detection.
“The purpose of this World Encephalitis Day 2026 is really to use and to introduce this mnemonic to everyone and incorporate it in our medical communities from the highest level of government up to the grassroots,” he explained.
Ocampo stressed that early detection and intervention are key to preventing long-term complications.
“When the brain is in FLAMES, every minute counts,” he emphasized.
