Download PDF
Semin Neurol 2011; 31(3): 245-253
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1287650
© Thieme Medical Publishers

Issues and Updates in Emerging Neurologic Viral Infections

Michael R. Wilson1 , 2 , 3 , Kenneth L. Tyler4 , 5
  • 1Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
  • 2Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
  • 3Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
  • 4Department of Neurology, Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology, University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado
  • 5Department of Neurology Service Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
30 September 2011 (online)

    Permissions and Reprints

ABSTRACT

This review discusses the recent advances in the identification of viral pathogens and other etiologies responsible for cases of suspected viral encephalitis. The authors describe new molecular diagnostic strategies for identifying novel causes of viral encephalitis, including MassTag PCR, DNA microarrays, and high-throughput DNA pyrosequencing. They also highlight the increasing recognition of immune-mediated causes of encephalitis among those cases previously thought to be viral encephalitis of unknown etiology. Lastly, they review some of the most recent updates in the field of emerging neurologic viral infections impacting the United States, including the neurologic complications of H1N1 virus and the reemergence of dengue virus in the Florida Keys.

KEYWORDS

Viral encephalitis - MassTag PCR - DNA microarray - high-throughput DNA pyrosequencing - dengue fever - H1N1 influenza virus - autoimmune encephalitis

REFERENCES

  • 1 Tyler K L. Emerging viral infections of the central nervous system: part 1.  Arch Neurol. 2009;  66 (8) 939-948
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Tyler K L. Emerging viral infections of the central nervous system: part 2.  Arch Neurol. 2009;  66 (9) 1065-1074
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Griffin D E. Emergence and re-emergence of viral diseases of the central nervous system.  Prog Neurobiol. 2010;  91 (2) 95-101
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Glaser C A, Gilliam S, Schnurr D California Encephalitis Project, 1998-2000 et al. In search of encephalitis etiologies: diagnostic challenges in the California Encephalitis Project, 1998-2000.  Clin Infect Dis. 2003;  36 (6) 731-742
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Glaser C A, Honarmand S, Anderson L J et al.. Beyond viruses: clinical profiles and etiologies associated with encephalitis.  Clin Infect Dis. 2006;  43 (12) 1565-1577
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Granerod J, Tam C C, Crowcroft N S, Davies N WS, Borchert M, Thomas S L. Challenge of the unknown. A systematic review of acute encephalitis in non-outbreak situations.  Neurology. 2010;  75 (10) 924-932
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Lipkin W I. Microbe hunting in the 21st century.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009;  106 (1) 6-7
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Lipkin W I. Pathogen discovery.  PLoS Pathog. 2008;  4 (4) e1000002
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Briese T, Palacios G, Kokoris M et al.. Diagnostic system for rapid and sensitive differential detection of pathogens.  Emerg Infect Dis. 2005;  11 (2) 310-313
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Lamson D, Renwick N, Kapoor V et al.. MassTag polymerase-chain-reaction detection of respiratory pathogens, including a new rhinovirus genotype, that caused influenza-like illness in New York State during 2004-2005.  J Infect Dis. 2006;  194 (10) 1398-1402
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Palacios G, Briese T, Kapoor V et al.. MassTag polymerase chain reaction for differential diagnosis of viral hemorrhagic fever.  Emerg Infect Dis. 2006;  12 (4) 692-695
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Dominguez S R, Briese T, Palacios G et al.. Multiplex MassTag-PCR for respiratory pathogens in pediatric nasopharyngeal washes negative by conventional diagnostic testing shows a high prevalence of viruses belonging to a newly recognized rhinovirus clade.  J Clin Virol. 2008;  43 (2) 219-222
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Wang D, Coscoy L, Zylberberg M et al.. Microarray-based detection and genotyping of viral pathogens.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002;  99 (24) 15687-15692
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Wang D, Urisman A, Liu Y T et al.. Viral discovery and sequence recovery using DNA microarrays.  PLoS Biol. 2003;  1 (2) E2
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Chiu C Y, Urisman A, Greenhow T L et al.. Utility of DNA microarrays for detection of viruses in acute respiratory tract infections in children.  J Pediatr. 2008;  153 (1) 76-83
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Ksiazek T G, Erdman D, Goldsmith C S SARS Working Group et al. A novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome.  N Engl J Med. 2003;  348 (20) 1953-1966
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Urisman A, Molinaro R J, Fischer N et al.. Identification of a novel gammaretrovirus in prostate tumors of patients homozygous for R462Q RNASEL variant.  PLoS Pathog. 2006;  2 (3) e25
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Chiu C Y, Greninger A L, Kanada K et al.. Identification of cardioviruses related to Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus in human infections.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;  105 (37) 14124-14129
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Kistler A L, Gancz A, Clubb S et al.. Recovery of divergent avian bornaviruses from cases of proventricular dilatation disease: identification of a candidate etiologic agent.  Virol J. 2008;  5 88
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Palacios G, Druce J, Du L et al.. A new arenavirus in a cluster of fatal transplant-associated diseases.  N Engl J Med. 2008;  358 (10) 991-998
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Quan P L, Wagner T A, Briese T et al.. Astrovirus encephalitis in boy with X-linked agammaglobulinemia.  Emerg Infect Dis. 2010;  16 (6) 918-925
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Tunkel A R, Glaser C A, Bloch K C Infectious Diseases Society of America et al. The management of encephalitis: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.  Clin Infect Dis. 2008;  47 (3) 303-327
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Vincent A, Buckley C, Schott J M et al.. Potassium channel antibody-associated encephalopathy: a potentially immunotherapy-responsive form of limbic encephalitis.  Brain. 2004;  127 (Pt 3) 701-712
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Dalmau J, Lancaster E, Martinez-Hernandez E, Rosenfeld M R, Balice-Gordon R. Clinical experience and laboratory investigations in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis.  Lancet Neurol. 2011;  10 (1) 63-74
    Google Scholar
  • 25 Darnell R B, Posner J B. Paraneoplastic syndromes affecting the nervous system.  Semin Oncol. 2006;  33 (3) 270-298
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Jarius S, Hoffmann L A, Stich O et al.. Relative frequency of VGKC and ‘classical’ paraneoplastic antibodies in patients with limbic encephalitis.  J Neurol. 2008;  255 (7) 1100-1101
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Dalmau J, Gleichman A J, Hughes E G et al.. Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis: case series and analysis of the effects of antibodies.  Lancet Neurol. 2008;  7 (12) 1091-1098
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Prüss H, Dalmau J, Harms L et al.. Retrospective analysis of NMDA receptor antibodies in encephalitis of unknown origin.  Neurology. 2010;  75 (19) 1735-1739
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Gable M S, Gavali S, Radner A et al.. Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis: report of ten cases and comparison with viral encephalitis.  Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2009;  28 (12) 1421-1429
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 de Jong M D, Bach V C, Phan T Q et al.. Fatal avian influenza A (H5N1) in a child presenting with diarrhea followed by coma.  N Engl J Med. 2005;  352 (7) 686-691
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Bautista E, Chotpitayasunondh T, Gao Z Writing Committee of the WHO Consultation on Clinical Aspects of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza et al. Clinical aspects of pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.  N Engl J Med. 2010;  362 (18) 1708-1719
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .CDC Estimates of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths in the United States, April 2009–March 13, 2010. Available at: http://www.flu.gov/individualfamily/about/h1n1/estimates_2009_h1n1.html Accessed August 26, 2011
    Google Scholar
  • 33 Rellosa N, Bloch K C, Shane A L, Debiasi R L. Neurologic manifestations of pediatric novel h1n1 influenza infection.  Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2011;  30 (2) 165-167
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Fugate J E, Lam E M, Rabinstein A A, Wijdicks E FM. Acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis and hypoxic brain injury associated with H1N1 influenza.  Arch Neurol. 2010;  67 (6) 756-758
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Denholm J T, Neal A, Yan B et al.. Acute encephalomyelitis syndromes associated with H1N1 09 influenza vaccination.  Neurology. 2010;  75 (24) 2246-2248
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Schonberger L B, Bregman D J, Sullivan-Bolyai J Z et al.. Guillain-Barre syndrome following vaccination in the National Influenza Immunization Program, United States, 1976–1977.  Am J Epidemiol. 1979;  110 (2) 105-123
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Preliminary results: surveillance for Guillain-Barré syndrome after receipt of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine—United States, 2009-2010.  MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;  59 (21) 657-661
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Vellozzi C, Broder K R, Haber P et al.. Adverse events following influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, United States, October 1, 2009-January 31, 2010.  Vaccine. 2010;  28 (45) 7248-7255
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Gibbons R V, Vaughn D W. Dengue: an escalating problem.  BMJ. 2002;  324 (7353) 1563-1566
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Domingues R B, Kuster G W, Onuki-Castro F L, Souza V A, Levi J E, Pannuti C S. Involvement of the central nervous system in patients with dengue virus infection.  J Neurol Sci. 2008;  267 (1-2) 36-40
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Soares C N, Faria L C, Peralta J M, de Freitas M RG, Puccioni-Sohler M. Dengue infection: neurological manifestations and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis.  J Neurol Sci. 2006;  249 (1) 19-24
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 42 Kankirawatana P, Chokephaibulkit K, Puthavathana P, Yoksan S, Apintanapong S, Pongthapisit V. Dengue infection presenting with central nervous system manifestation.  J Child Neurol. 2000;  15 (8) 544-547
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 Solomon T, Dung N M, Vaughn D W et al.. Neurological manifestations of dengue infection.  Lancet. 2000;  355 (9209) 1053-1059
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Locally acquired Dengue—Key West, Florida, 2009-2010.  MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2010;  59 (19) 577-581
    PubMedGoogle Scholar

Kenneth L TylerM.D. 

Neurology B-182, Research Complex-2, University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center

12700 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045

Email: Ken.Tyler@ucdenver.edu

      >