What was Shane MacGowan’s illness viral encephalitis?
THE Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has died aged 65 following a long period of ill health.
His wife Victoria Mary Clarke, said: “Shane will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life.”
The Fairytale of New York singer had suffered from several health issues in recent years and had only been released from hospital last week.
He had been in intensive care for months after being diagnosed with a 'brain swelling disease' last year.
In a post on Instagram, Victoria shared a photo along with a note which read: "I don't know how to say this so I am just going to say it.
"Shane has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese."
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She : "Shane who will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life and the most beautiful soul and beautiful angel and the sun and the moon and the start and end of everything that I hold dear."
A statement from Shane's spokesperson confirmed he "died peacefully at 3.30am this morning (30 November) with his wife and sister by his side".
"Prayers and the last rites were read during his passing," they added.
The British celeb had been hospitalised a number of times since his diagnosis with viral encephalitis and was thought to have been admitted again in June, but his wife has not revealed the exact reasons why.
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The star also had well-documented problems with drugs and alcohol.
What is viral encephalitis?
Encephalitis is an uncommon but serious condition which causes the sufferer's brain to swell.
It can be deadly and requires urgent treatment in hospital.
The 65-year-old singer has been receiving treatment in hospital for months.
Anyone can be affected by the disease but the very young and elderly are most at risk.
A number of medications and injections are capable of calming encephalitis symptoms.
Some people can make a full recovery, but others will be affected by persistent symptoms as a result of damage to the brain for the rest of their lives.
Having up-to-date, complete vaccines for any country you're travelling to is the best way to prevent encephalitis.
What are the symptoms of encephalitis?
According to the , symptoms can start off flu-like - including a high temperature and headache - but this isn't always the case.
More serious symptoms develop over hours, days or weeks, including:
- Confusion or disorientation
- Seizures
- Changes in personality and behaviour
- Difficulty speaking
- Weakness or loss of movement in some parts of the body
- Loss of consciousness
If someone has any of these more serious symptoms, dial 999 immediately.
According to the , a charity that supports people affected by all types of encephalitis, mortality rate from the disease can be as high as 40 per cent.
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What causes encephalitis?
It's not always clear what triggers encephalitis, but it's often caused by common viruses, such as:
- Herpes simplex viruses, which cause cold sores (this is the most common cause of encephalitis)
- The varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and singles
- Measles, mumps and rubella viruses
- Viruses spread by animals, such as tick-borne encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, rabies (and possibly Zika virus)
