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A Murine Model of Dengue Virus-induced Acute Viral Encephalitis-like Disease
Published on: April 28, 2019
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Human viral encephalitis associated with suid herpesvirus 1
Summary
Suid herpesvirus type 1 (SHV1) causes a severe, rapidly progressing human encephalitis, often linked to swine exposure. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) aids rapid diagnosis, but prognosis remains poor due to respiratory failure and deep gray matter lesions.
Area of Science:
- Neurovirology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Suid herpesvirus type 1 (SHV1) is a neurotropic virus with rare reported human encephalitis cases.
- Clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of human SHV1 encephalitis remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize human encephalitis caused by Suid herpesvirus type 1 (SHV1).
- To identify clinical features, diagnostic methods, and prognostic indicators for SHV1 encephalitis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 20 human SHV1 encephalitis cases (2 new, 18 literature-based).
- Review of clinical presentations, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, MRI findings, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) results.
- Correlation of outcomes with clinical and radiological findings.
Main Results:
- Nineteen of 20 patients had occupational swine exposure.
- Common symptoms included influenza-like illness, seizures, altered consciousness, and endophthalmitis.
- Rapid respiratory failure and deep gray matter nuclei involvement correlated with poor prognosis (modified Rankin Scale 5 or 6).
- CSF indicated aseptic or viral infection; MRI showed temporal-frontal and insular cortex distribution.
- mNGS identified unique SHV1 sequences in CSF.
Conclusions:
- SHV1 can cause a new, acute, fulminating human viral encephalitis.
- Rapid respiratory failure and deep gray matter lesions are indicators of poor prognosis.
- mNGS enables rapid diagnosis of SHV1 encephalitis, for which no approved treatments exist.
