Prevalence of herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 infections among suspected children of encephalitis in Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Various infectious and non-infectious factors can cause encephalitis in the central nervous system (CNS), the most important of which are viruses. Herpes viruses are one of the most important causes of encephalitis worldwide. PCR detected the virus on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample. The aim of this study was to set up an in-house PCR to identify herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and determine the prevalence of these viruses in suspected children of encephalitis.
 Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 suspected children with encephalitis cases re- ferred to Dr. Kermanshahi Children Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran, from April to March 2021. CSF samples were extracted using a viral extraction kit, and a PCR was performed. The level of glucose and total protein of the samples was measured.
 Results: The total prevalence of HSV was 16.25%. 17 samples were positive for HSV-1 (10.6%), and 9 samples for HSV-2 (5.6%). There was a significant correlation between glucose, total protein, and HSV PCR positive, but no significant correlation between age and HSV PCR positive results.
 Conclusion: Rapid diagnosis of a virus may reduce the hospitalization rate and the use of unnecessary therapies and crease mortality, morbidity, and disability in children. Results in this study show that the distribution of HSV types in children with encephalitis predominantly was type 1 compared with type 2.

In vitro evaluation of inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus reuteri supernatant on the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 and expression of UL54, UL52 and UL27 genes

“…Vilhelmova-Ilieva et al showed that the cell free supernatant of L. fermentum had a potent antiviral effect when it was in contact with HSV-1 for one hour ( 25 ). Elebeedy et al demonstrated a significant decrease in HSV-1 titer (1.25 log 10 TCID 50 /ml) using the L. acidophilus supernatant ( 26 ). Similarly, in the present study, the metabolites of L. reuteri reduced HSV-1 titer by 1.83 Log 10 TCID 50 /ml; therefore the supernatant of L. reuteri , like other mentioned Lactobacilli , contains anti-herpes virus compounds.…”

Herpes simplex (HSV-1) encephalitis in an infant: a case report study

“…The wide spectrum of clinical presentations of herpetic encephalitis, coupled with primary symptoms like fever, headaches, fatigue, and vomiting that are often nonspecific, complicates the diagnosis. Only 38% of non-neonatal children manifest with neurological symptoms such as seizures, which can facilitate earlier detection 11 , 18 . The case under discussion involves an infant presenting with acute onset seizures and fever.…”