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Updated: Aug 26, 2025
Mouse Footpad Inoculation Model to Study Viral-Induced Neuroinflammatory Responses
Published on: June 14, 2020
Emerging Monkeypox virus and neuroinflammatory disorders
Marzia Puccioni-Sohler1,2, Carolina Marques de Oliveira3, Marcelo Namen4
1Escola de Medicina e Cirurgia, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Mariz e Barros, 775, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20270-004, Brazil.
Alarming Situation:
Monkeypox is a zoonosis caused by a double-stranded DNA virus. The virus was isolated in monkeys in 1958. The first human case was detected in Africa in 1970. It is endemic in western and central Africa. The infection has worried public health authorities around the world since May 2022 with the emergence of thousands of cases in non-African countries.
Objective:
We discuss the neurological manifestations associated with monkeypox infection.
Rare And Severe Complications:
Although in the current outbreak, the disease appears to be self-limiting, with predominance of focal skin lesions, complications may occur, mainly in children and immunosuppressed patients. Neurological manifestations such as encephalitis, convulsion, dizziness, pain, fatigue, visual alteration, photophobia, headache and myalgia were previously reported. Encephalitis may be due to viral invasion of the central nervous system or an immune-mediated process. In both situations, rapid recognition is extremely important with the investigation of the cerebrospinal fluid exam, which can demonstrate the local inflammatory reaction, specific IgM and, possibly viral detection, in addition to the imaging study.
Conclusions:
We emphasize that health professionals should be alert to the emergence of neurological disorders associated with monkeypox infection in order to avoid sequelae and better characterize the current disease.
