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BKPyV causing meningoencephalitis in HIV/AIDS patients in Argentina

Viviana Raskovsky1, Sebastián Blanco2, Federico Perrote3

  • 1Laboratorio de Virus Respiratorios y Neurovirosis, Hospital Señor del Milagro, Salta, Argentina.

Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
|August 17, 2025
PubMed

Insights

This study found BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) and JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) in HIV/AIDS patients with CNS disorders in Argentina. These opportunistic infections highlight the need for routine molecular diagnostics in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Neurovirology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Opportunistic central nervous system (CNS) infections by JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) and BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) significantly increase morbidity and mortality in individuals with HIV/AIDS, particularly in resource-limited settings.
  • Data on polyomavirus CNS infections in HIV/AIDS patients in Argentina are limited, despite the province of Salta experiencing high AIDS-related mortality rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and genotypes of BKPyV and JCPyV infections in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of HIV/AIDS patients presenting with meningoencephalitis or Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) in Salta, Argentina.
  • To establish the etiological role of these polyomaviruses in neurological disease within this specific patient cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of cryopreserved CSF samples from HIV/AIDS patients admitted to a regional referral hospital over one year.
  • Polyomavirus DNA detection using PCR amplification of the T-antigen sequence, followed by genotyping through direct sequencing.

Main Results:

  • Polyomavirus DNA was detected in 6% (3/50) of patients with CNS disorders.
  • BKPyV was identified in one patient with meningoencephalitis, and JCPyV was found in two patients with PML.
  • The identified JCPyV strain was genotype 2A, marking the first report of this genotype causing neurological disease in an HIV/AIDS patient in Argentina.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first description of BKPyV-associated meningoencephalitis in HIV/AIDS patients in Argentina.
  • It also reports the first instance of JCPyV genotype 2 causing neurological disease in an HIV/AIDS patient in the country.
  • The findings underscore the importance of incorporating molecular diagnostics for BKPyV/JCPyV into routine CSF screening for HIV/AIDS patients with neurological conditions in Argentina to ensure timely etiological diagnosis.
Keywords:
ArgentinaBKPyVHIV/AIDSJCPyVNeurological diseases

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