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Possible central nervous system infection by SARS coronavirus.
Kwok-Kwong Lau1, Wai-Cho Yu, Chung-Ming Chu
1Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. dominickklau@hotmail.com
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|March 20, 2004
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) can affect the central nervous system. A SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient experiencing seizures.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a respiratory illness caused by SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV).
- Neurological complications are increasingly recognized in patients with SARS.
- The potential for direct central nervous system (CNS) involvement in SARS remains under investigation.
Observation:
- A 32-year-old woman with SARS experienced a generalized tonic-clonic convulsion on day 22 of her illness.
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis was performed due to the neurological symptoms.
- The patient presented with significant neurological manifestations during the course of SARS.
Findings:
- Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing of the cerebrospinal fluid was positive for SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV).
- This finding suggests the presence of SARS-CoV within the central nervous system.
- The detection of SARS-CoV in CSF directly links the virus to the patient's neurological symptoms.
Implications:
- SARS-CoV may directly cause central nervous system infections.
- This case highlights the importance of considering neurological complications in SARS patients.
- Further research is warranted to understand the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV CNS infections and develop targeted therapies.