By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter. SUNDAY, Feb. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cat bites may look less serious than dog bites, but beware: They can cause dangerous infections, particularly when they involve the hand, new research indicates.
Donate to the National Ataxia Foundation. Causes of Ataxia. The hereditary ataxias are genetic, which means they are caused by a defect in a certain gene that is present from the start of a person's life. All of us have genes that have little mistakes or variations but most of these do not cause disease, they are called mutations.
Infectious causes of cerebellar ataxia syndrome may include: Chickenpox. Coxsackie disease (viral infection also called hand-foot-and-mouth disease). Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (rare disease believed to be an infection that causes mental deterioration). Encephalitis or brain abscess (brain inflammation or infection).ther causes of cerebellar ataxia syndrome. Other causes of cerebellar ataxia syndrome may include: Brain tumors. Stroke and other vascular conditions.