Neurological problem due to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection

How to cite this article:
Wiwanitkit S, Wiwanitkit V. Neurological problem due to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection. Ann Trop Med Public Health 2015;8:310-1

 

How to cite this URL:
Wiwanitkit S, Wiwanitkit V. Neurological problem due to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection. Ann Trop Med Public Health [serial online] 2015 [cited 2020 Sep 22];8:310-1. Available from: https://www.atmph.org/text.asp?2015/8/6/310/162659

Sir,

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection is a new emerging viral infection that has just been reported from East Asia for a few years. [1] SFTSV is a Phlebovirus in the family bunyaviridae. [1] The SFTSV infection is a tick-borne disease.

This disease can cause acute febrile illness and hemorrhagic presentation. Similar to many hemorrhagic viral diseases, this neurological complication is an interesting topic. In SFTSV infection there are some evidences on neurological problems. According to the animal model study conducted by Liu et al., [2] no significant involvement of dendritic cells and brain can be observed.

However, in human cases, there are many reports on neurological problems. Deng et al. found that the occurrence of neurological complication was a risk for severe illness. [3] Brain damage is common in fatal case. [4] Cui et al. concluded that “SFTSV is capable of infecting the central nervous system.” [5] Based on the mentioned evidences, it is no doubt that neurological problems can be seen in SFTSV infection. However, the remaining problems are the following: a) what is the exact pathogenesis of neurological disorder in SFTSV? and b) what is the exact prevalence of neurological problems in SFTSV infection? For the first question, since the direct neurological damage in animal models cannot be observed, [2] the aberration of cytokine in SFTSV may be the cause of neurological problems. [1] For the second question, according to a recent epidemiological report from Zhoushan region, China, null prevalence of neurological presentation is reported. [6] However, these are data from only one region and screening for neurological problems may not have been completely done. Cui et al. suggested that “screening for SFTSV in encephalitis of unknown reason should be performed in SFTS endemic regions.” [5]

References

 

1.
Li DX. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome: A newly discovered emerging infectious disease. Clin Microbiol Infect 2015;21:614-20.
2.
Liu Y, Wu B, Paessler S, Walker DH, Tesh RB, Yu XJ. The pathogenesis of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection in alpha/beta interferon knockout mice: Insights into the pathologic mechanisms of a new viral hemorrhagic fever. J Virol 2014;88:1781-6.
3.
Deng B, Zhou B, Zhang S, Zhu Y, Han L, Geng Y, et al. Clinical features and factors associated with severity and fatality among patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome Bunyavirus infection in Northeast China. PLoS One 2013;8:e80802.
4.
Ye L, Shang X, Wang Z, Hu F, Wang X, Xiao Y, et al. A case of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome caused by a novel bunyavirus in Zhejiang, China. Int J Infect Dis 2015;33:199-201.
5.
Cui N, Liu R, Lu QB, Wang LY, Qin SL, Yang ZD, et al. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus-related human encephalitis. J Infect 2015;70:52-9.
6.
Wu H, Wang J, Tong Z, Tang A, Ren F, Ye L, et al. Epidemiological characteristics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, 2011-2013. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 2014;35:1371-4.

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

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DOI: 10.4103/1755-6783.162659

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