The Dallas skyline will be lit up in red Wednesday night to honor World Encephalitis Day.
The Bank of America building, Omni Hotel and Magnolia Hotels, among others, will shine red lights to highlight the complicated brain injury associated with West Nile virus.
Encephalitis affects 500,000 people worldwide and 20,000 Americans and is caused by swelling of the brain.
In less than two decades, over 3,000 people in Texas suffered from neurovasive West Nile, a leading cause of Encephalitis. Lasting effects of the disease include problems with memory, mobility, speech, sleep and personality disorders.
Buildings across the globe have committed to lighting up in red, including Canada's Peace Bridge and Trafalgar Square in London, according to the World Encephalitis Day website.
The Encephalitis Society launched this initiative to 'Illuminate Encephalitis' in 2014 in hopes it would shine a light on the disease itself and the need for more treatment solutions and to honor those impacted by the disease.
