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Viral aetiology in paediatric age group patients admitted with acute febrile encephalopathy in Western Rajasthan
Laxmi Rathore1, Prabhat Kiran Khatri1, Archana Bora1
1Department of Microbiology, Dr. Sampurnanand Medical College, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
Insights
This study identified viral causes of illness in children aged 1 month to 15 years in Western Rajasthan. Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) was detected, marking its first report in India, alongside prevalent Parvovirus B19.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Diagnostics
Background:
- Viral infections pose a significant health burden in pediatric populations worldwide.
- Understanding the specific viral etiologies in different geographical regions is crucial for targeted public health interventions.
- Western Rajasthan, a region with unique epidemiological characteristics, requires focused research on pediatric viral diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the viral causes of illness in children aged 1 month to 15 years in Western Rajasthan.
- To identify common and emerging viral pathogens affecting pediatric patients in this region.
- To establish a baseline for viral aetiology in pediatric central nervous system infections.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 105 pediatric patients (1 month to 15 years) from Western Rajasthan was enrolled.
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were analyzed using multiplex real-time PCR for a panel of viral agents.
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was employed to detect Dengue, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Measles, and Mumps viruses.
Main Results:
- Viral agents were detected in 32 out of 105 (30.5%) pediatric samples.
- The identified viral etiologies included Adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Human Herpesvirus-1 (HHV-1), Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), Parechovirus, Parvovirus B19, Dengue virus, and Measles virus.
- Notably, Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) was identified, representing a novel finding for India, and mixed infections such as HHV-1/HHV-6 and HHV-1/Parvovirus B19 were also observed.
Conclusions:
- Parvovirus B19 demonstrates sporadic prevalence in the study region.
- The detection of Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) in this cohort is a significant finding, as it has not been previously reported in India.
- This study highlights the diverse viral landscape in pediatric illnesses in Western Rajasthan and underscores the need for continued surveillance and molecular diagnostic approaches.
Purpose:
In this study, we are trying to find out viral aetiology in paediatric age group patients from 1 month to 15 years of age in Western Rajasthan region.
Methods:
A total of 105 patients from 1 month to 15 years were recruited into this study. CSF samples were collected and were processed by multiplex real-time PCR for detection of various predefined panels of viral agents. ELISA was also done for all samples for detection of dengue, JE, measles and mumps.
Results:
A total of 32 samples out of 105 were tested positive for viral agents. Viral aetiology detected in this study were Adenovirus (n = 2), EBV (n = 1), HHV-1 (n = 10), HHV-6 (N = 5), Parechovirus (n = 1), Parvovirus B19 (n = 7), Dengue (n = 2) and Measles (n = 1). Mixed infections were also detected, HHV-1 and HHV-6 (n = 2), HHV-1 and Parvovirus B19 (n = 1). In 73 patients no viral aetiology could be detected.
Conclusions:
Parvovirus B19 is sporadically prevalent in this geographical region. In this study, HHV-6 was also found which has not been reported earlier from India.
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