Back to Search Start Over

Unexpected TBEV Seropositivity in Serbian Patients Who Recovered from Viral Meningitis and Encephalitis

Authors :
Pavle Banović
Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez
Selena Đurić
Siniša Sević
Vesna Turkulov
Dajana Lendak
Sandra Stefan Mikić
Verica Simin
Dragana Mijatović
Ivana Bogdan
Aleksandar Potkonjak
Sara Savić
Dasiel Obregón
Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Source :
Pathogens, Vol 11, Iss 3, p 371 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2022.

Abstract

The tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) causes a life-threatening disease named Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The clinical symptoms associated with TBE range from non-specific to severe inflammation of the central nervous system and are very similar to the clinical presentation of other viral meningitis/encephalitis. In consequence, TBE is often misclassified by clinical physicians, mainly in the non-identified high-risk areas where none or only a few TBE cases have been reported. Considering this situation, we hypothesized that among persons from northern Serbia who recovered from viral meningitis or encephalitis, there would be evidence of TBEV infection. To test this hypothesis, in this observational study, we evaluated the seroreactivity against TBEV antigens in patients from northern Serbia who were hospitalized due to viral meningitis and/or viral encephalitis of unknown etiology. Three cases of seroreactivity to TBEV antigens were discovered among convalescent patients who recovered from viral meningitis and/or encephalitis and accepted to participate in the study (n = 15). The clinical and laboratory findings of these patients overlap with that of seronegative convalescent patients. Although TBE has been a notifiable disease in Serbia since 2004, there is no active TBE surveillance program for the serologic or molecular screening of TBEV infection in humans in the country. This study highlights the necessity to increase the awareness of TBE among physicians and perform active and systematic screening of TBEV antibodies among patients with viral meningitis and/or encephalitis.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20760817
Volume :
11
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Pathogens
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.f6648f931c74285ae5e3627c5d877bc
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11030371