Molecular Detection of West Nile Virus in Pediatric Patients with Meningitis and Encephalitis

Introduction: West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen of the Flaviviridae family with a global distribution. It is a significant cause of neurological diseases, including meningitis and encephalitis, in children. This study employed a SYBR Green-based real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay to detect and quantify WNV RNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from children presenting with meningitis and encephalitis. Methods: CSF samples (n=۱۶۰) were collected from children diagnosed with aseptic meningitis or encephalitis at a single medical center in Karaj, Iran, from September ۲۰۱۹ to October ۲۰۲۰. Samples were analyzed by RT-qPCR, with viral loads quantified against a standard curve generated from serial dilutions of a plasmid containing the WNV capsid (C) gene. Results: Two of ۱۶۰ CSF samples (۱.۲۵%; ۹۵% CI: ۰.۱۵–۴.۴۶%) tested were positive for WNV genomic RNA. The viral loads were ۳.۴ × ۱۰³ and ۱.۲ × ۱۰⁵ copies per reaction in a ۳-year-old female and a ۴-year-old male patient, respectively. Conclusion: The low prevalence of WNV observed, coupled with the limited sample size and reports of higher prevalence in other regions, underscores the need for larger, multicenter studies to better define WNV epidemiology in children.

کلیدواژه ها:

West Nile Virus ، Meningitis ، Encephalitis ، Pediatric ، Iran ، RT-qPCR