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Herpesvirus encephalitis diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction at the National Institute of Neurology of Mexico

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Abstract

The frequency of central nervous system infections due to herpesvirus have been studied in various populations; however, studies in Mexican mestizo patients are scant. This paper documents the frequency of herpesvirus encephalitis in Mexican mestizo patients from the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (NINN) of Mexico. To study the frequency of herpetic viral encephalitis at the NINN in the period from 2004 to 2009. We reviewed clinical records from patients with clinically suspected encephalitis; polymerase chain reaction assays were done for detection of herpesviruses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. The total number of patients studied was 502; in 59 (12%), the diagnosis of herpetic encephalitis was confirmed by PCR-based testing of CSF. Of them, 21 (36%) were positive for herpes simplex virus type 1, 15 (25%) for Epstein–Barr virus, 10 (17%) for varicella zoster virus, 8 (14%) for cytomegalovirus, 3 (5%) for human herpesvirus 6, and 2 (3%) for herpes simplex virus 2. Our results show a varied frequency of viral encephalitis in mestizo patients due to herpesviruses in a tertiary neurological center and point out the importance of modern molecular technology to reach the etiological diagnosis in cases of encephalitis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroimmunology Unit, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery of Mexico (NINN), Insurgentes sur 3877, 14269, Mexico City, Mexico

    Esperanza Garcia, Rubén Figueroa, Víctor Chavarría, Aleli Salazar, Julio Sotelo & Benjamín Pineda

  2. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico City, Mexico

    Quetzalina Flores Fajardo

  3. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

    Arely Vergara Castañeda

  4. Neurobiochemistry laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (NINN), Mexico City, Mexico

    Verónica Pérez de la Cruz

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  1. Esperanza Garcia
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  2. Quetzalina Flores Fajardo
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  3. Rubén Figueroa
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  4. Víctor Chavarría
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  5. Arely Vergara Castañeda
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  6. Aleli Salazar
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  7. Verónica Pérez de la Cruz
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  8. Julio Sotelo
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  9. Benjamín Pineda
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Correspondence to Benjamín Pineda.

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The protocol was approved by the NINN Bioethics Committee and Institutional Review Board (No. 125/09).

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Garcia, E., Fajardo, Q.F., Figueroa, R. et al. Herpesvirus encephalitis diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction at the National Institute of Neurology of Mexico. J. Neurovirol. 27, 397–402 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13365-020-00839-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13365-020-00839-y

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