Viral metagenomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid from patients with acute central nervous system infections of unknown origin, Vietnam

Journal article

Central nervous system (CNS) infection is a serious neurologic condition, although the etiology remains unknown in >50% of patients. We used metagenomic next-generation sequencing to detect viruses in 204 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with acute CNS infection who were enrolled from Vietnam hospitals during 2012–2016. We detected 8 viral species in 107/204 (52.4%) of CSF samples. After virus-specific PCR confirmation, the detection rate was lowered to 30/204 (14.7%). Enteroviruses were the most common viruses detected (n = 23), followed by hepatitis B virus (3), HIV (2), molluscum contagiosum virus (1), and gemycircularvirus (1). Analysis of enterovirus sequences revealed the predominance of echovirus 30 (9). Phylogenetically, the echovirus 30 strains belonged to genogroup V and VIIb. Our results expanded knowledge about the clinical burden of enterovirus in Vietnam and underscore the challenges of identifying a plausible viral pathogen in CSF of patients with CNS infections.

Authors: Anh, NT; Nhu, LNT; Hong, NTT; Phuc, TM; Tam, PTT

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Journal: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 205-213
• Publication date: 2020-12-18
• Acceptance date: 2020-12-18
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2701.202723
• EISSN: 1080-6059
• ISSN: 1080-6040
• Pmid: 33350920
• Language: English
• Keywords: VIZIONS Consortium