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Viral infections of the central nervous system in Spain: a prospective study

F de Ory1, A Avellón, J E Echevarría

  • 1National Centre for Microbiology, Majadahonda, Spain. fory@isciii.es

Journal of Medical Virology
|December 15, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Enteroviruses (EV) are the primary cause of viral meningitis in Spain, while herpes simplex virus (HSV) is most common in meningoencephalitis and encephalitis cases. Many neurological infections remain undiagnosed.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Aseptic meningitis, meningoencephalitis, and encephalitis are significant neurological conditions.
  • Identifying causative viral agents is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of viruses causing aseptic meningitis, meningoencephalitis, and encephalitis in Spain.
  • To characterize the etiological agents responsible for these neurological disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study involving 17 Spanish hospitals and 581 cases.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples analyzed using PCR and serology.
  • Tested for enteroviruses (EV), herpesviruses (HSV, VZV, CMV, EBV, HHV-6), mumps virus (MV), Toscana virus (TOSV), adenovirus (HAdV), LCMV, WNV, and rabies.

Main Results:

  • Enteroviruses were the most frequent cause of meningitis (76.8%).
  • Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1, 43.2%) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV, 27.0%) were most common in meningoencephalitis.
  • HSV-1 (71.4%) and VZV (19.1%) were the leading causes of encephalitis.
  • No cases of rabies or West Nile virus (WNV) were identified.
  • Etiological diagnosis remained elusive in a significant percentage of cases (42.9% meningitis, 59.3% meningoencephalitis, 72.4% encephalitis).

Conclusions:

  • Enteroviruses are the predominant viral cause of meningitis in Spain.
  • Herpes simplex virus is the primary viral agent in meningoencephalitis and encephalitis.
  • A substantial proportion of cases lack a definitive etiological diagnosis, highlighting the need for further research and improved diagnostic methods.

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