Key result
Surveillance of encephalitis in Thailand revealed an increase in enterovirus as a major cause of viral encephalitis, rising from 11.6% of diagnosed cases in 2002-2012 to 17.3% in 2013-2018.
Observational (n=4,799)
Yes
The study highlights an unexpected shift in the etiology of viral encephalitis in Thailand, with enteroviruses emerging as a major cause.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
EBV leads identified etiologies in Thai encephalitis surveillance; extends regional data but leaves open confirmatory trials.
From 2013 to 2018, the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Disease-Health Science Center (TRC-EID-HS), in collaboration with the Department of Disease Control (DDC) and the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Thailand, conducted encephalitis surveillance. A total of 1700 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with encephalitis were tested by a predesigned multiplex PCR. Diagnosis was made in 318 cases (18.7%), 86 (27%) of which were caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), 55 (17.3%) by enteroviruses (EV), 36 (11.3%) by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), 31 (9.7%) by cytomegalovirus (CMV), 25 (7.8%) by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), and 20 (6.3%) by human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). Results were compared with 3099 CSF samples from patients with encephalitis collected between 2002 to 2012, which were tested by specific PCR assays. Diagnosis was made in 337 (10.9%) of these cases, and 91 (27%) were CMV, 79 (23.4%) were VZV, 72 (21.4%) were EBV, 39 (11.6%) were EVs, 39 (11.6%) were HSV-1, 33 (9.8%) were HSV-2, and 2 (0.6%) were Dengue virus (DENV). The change in the pattern toward EVs as a major cause of viral encephalitis was unexpected, and a change in viral neurotropism may be responsible.
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Hemachudha et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Encephalitis (n=4,799). Time period 2013-2018 vs. Time period 2002-2012 was evaluated on Proportion of diagnosed viral encephalitis cases caused by enteroviruses. Surveillance of encephalitis in Thailand revealed an increase in enterovirus as a major cause of viral encephalitis, rising from 11.6% of diagnosed cases in 2002-2012 to 17.3% in 2013-2018.
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