However, this virus can also cause other infections such as herpes
encephalitis, which
in theory, one could be at increased risk for in the event they had open skin lesions while they had brain surgery. However, herpes encephalitis is classically a pretty devastating disease acutely usually with fever, changes in thinking, headache, occasionally neck stiffness, extreme sleepiness/coma, weakness localized to certain area(s) of the body, and occasionally seizures.