Arbovirus, herpesvirus, and enterovirus associated with neurological syndromes in adult patients of a university hospital, 2017-2018

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 54; p. e0127
• Main Authors: Leon, Lucas Lopes, Lima, Rodrigo Gonçalves de, Boffi, Lídia Cristian, Bindilatti, Raissa Nery, Garlipp, Célia Regina, Costa, Sandra Cecília Botelho, Bonon, Sandra Helena Alves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT 01-01-2021; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Arbovirus infections; Central nervous system; Major; Polymerase chain reaction; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Viral diseases; Polymerase chain reaction; Arbovirus infections; Central nervous system; Viral diseases
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 1678-9849
• DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0127-2021

INTRODUCTIONHerpesviruses, enteroviruses, and arboviruses are important because of their clinical relevance and ability to cause meningitis, encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, and other diseases. The clinical virology associated with diagnostic technologies can reduce the morbidity and mortality of such neurological manifestations. Here we aimed to identify the genomes of agents that cause neurological syndromes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with suspected nervous system infections admitted to the University Hospital of the University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in 2017-2018. METHODSCSF samples collected from adult patients with neurological syndrome symptoms and negative CSF culture results were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcriptase-PCR, and real-time PCR, and their results were compared with their clinical symptoms. One CSF sample was obtained from each patient. RESULTSViral genomes were detected in 148/420 (35.2%) CSF samples: one of 148 (0.2%) was positive for herpes simplex virus-1; two (0.5%) for herpes simplex virus-2; eight (1.9%) for varicella-zoster virus; four (1%) for Epstein-Barr virus; one (0.2%) for cytomegalovirus; 32 (7.6%) for human herpesvirus-6; 30 (7.1%) for non-polio enterovirus; 67 (16.0%) for dengue virus, three (0.7%) for yellow fever virus, and 21 (5%) for Zika virus. CONCLUSIONSThe viral genomes were found in 35.2% of all analyzed samples, showing the high prevalence of viruses in the nervous system and the importance of using a nucleic acid amplification test to detect viral agents in CSF samples.