Herpes simplex virus encephalitis in Peru: A multicentre prospective study

S. M. Montano, N. Mori, C. A. Nelson, T. G.N. Ton, V. Celis, E. Ticona, M. Sihuincha, D. H. Tilley, T. Kochel, J. R. Zunt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most commonly identified infectious aetiologies of encephalitis in North America and Europe. The epidemiology of encephalitis beyond these regions, however, is poorly defined. During 2009-2012 we enrolled 313 patients in a multicentre prospective study of encephalitis in Peru, 45 (14·4%) of whom had confirmed HSV infection. Of 38 patients with known HSV type, 84% had HSV-1 and 16% had HSV-2. Patients with HSV infection were significantly more likely to present in the summer months (44·4% vs. 20·0%, P = 0·003) and have nausea (60·0% vs. 39·8%, P = 0·01) and rash (15·6% vs. 5·3%, P = 0·01) compared to patients without HSV infection. These findings highlight differences in the epidemiology and clinical presentation of HSV encephalitis outside of the Northern Hemisphere that warrant further investigation. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for improved HSV diagnostic capacity and availability of intravenous acyclovir in Peru.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1673-1678
Number of pages6
JournalEpidemiology and Infection
Volume144
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jun 2016

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was provided by NIH Fogarty International Center grant RO1NS55627 to Joseph R. Zunt. This work was also supported by the National Institutes of Health Office of the Director, Fogarty International Center, Office of AIDS Research, National Cancer Center, National Eye Institute, National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute, National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Health, and NIH Office of Women's Health and Research through the International Clinical Research Fellows Program at Vanderbilt University (R24 TW007988)

Keywords

  • Central nervous system infections
  • encephalitis
  • epidemiology
  • herpes simplex virus
  • virology

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