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La Crosse virus encephalitis in children

Christopher P Ouellette1

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases and Host Defense Program, Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
|July 30, 2024
PubMed

Insights

La Crosse virus encephalitis (LACV-E) in children often presents with seizures and altered mental status, predicting severe disease. Long-term neurobehavioral issues are common and under-recognized, necessitating follow-up.

Area of Science:

  • Arthropod-borne viral infections
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Neurovirology

Background:

  • La Crosse virus encephalitis (LACV-E) is a common neuroinvasive arthropod-borne viral infection in North American children.
  • Children are more susceptible to symptomatic LACV-E than adults.
  • Infection frequently causes neurological symptoms like seizures and altered mentation, requiring hospitalization and extensive evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To offer a current review of the clinical, laboratory, and neurobehavioral outcomes in children diagnosed with LACV-E.
  • To highlight key clinical features and diagnostic methods for LACV-E.
  • To emphasize the need for long-term neurobehavioral follow-up in affected children.

Main Methods:

  • Review of contemporary literature on La Crosse virus encephalitis in children.
  • Analysis of clinical presentations, laboratory findings, and neurobehavioral outcomes.
  • Synthesis of data on disease severity predictors and long-term sequelae.

Main Results:

  • Seizures and altered mental status at presentation are independent predictors of LACV-E severity.
  • Epileptiform discharges on electroencephalogram (EEG) may indicate a higher risk of long-term epilepsy.
  • Persistent and under-recognized neurologic sequelae are common in children post-LACV-E.

Conclusions:

  • Climate change may expand the endemic regions of La Crosse virus (LACV).
  • Clinicians should be aware of identifiable features and diagnostic tools for LACV-E.
  • Further research into host immune responses and therapeutic strategies for LACV infection is crucial.
Abstract

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