Californian Study Confirms HPMV is Neurotropic and Causes CNS Issues Like Febrile Seizures and Fatal Encephalitis in Children
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 04, 2025 2 days, 3 hours ago
Medical News: A past study conducted by leading medical institutions in California has confirmed that Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is not only a respiratory pathogen but also a neurotropic virus capable of causing severe central nervous system (CNS) complications in children. Researchers from the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Center for AIDS Research, and the Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory of the California Department of Public Health collaborated to shed light on this critical findind that is covered in this
Medical News report.
Californian Study Confirms HPMV is Neurotropic and Causes CNS Issues Like Febrile
Seizures and Fatal Encephalitis in Children
What is HMPV?
HMPV, a relatively lesser-known member of the Paramyxoviridae family, has been primarily associated with respiratory infections in both children and adults. However, its ability to affect the CNS has remained largely unexplored. This recent study bridges that gap, demonstrating how HMPV infection can lead to severe neurological outcomes, including febrile seizures and fatal encephalitis, particularly in pediatric populations.
The Study Design and Approach
The research encompassed two distinct patient groups to assess the link between HMPV and CNS complications. The first group consisted of children aged 0 to 18 years who had nasal samples collected between January 2004 and October 2005. These samples were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to detect the presence of HMPV RNA. Clinical and demographic data were meticulously reviewed.
The second group included pediatric patients referred to the California Encephalitis Project (CEP) for comprehensive diagnostic testing between November 2004 and June 2006. This article highlights that the researchers’ focus was on identifying cases of encephalitis where HMPV could be implicated as a causative agent.
Key Findings
From the first group, 1,474 nasal specimens were analyzed, and 63 patients tested positive for HMPV. Among these, 6.3% experienced seizures, a stark contrast to the 0.7% of children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) who had seizures. Alarmingly, all HMPV-infected children who had seizures required hospitalization, and three of them were intubated due to status epilepticus. This underscores the severity of CNS involvement in HMPV cases.
The second group comprised 205 pediatric cases of encephalitis, five of which showed the presence of HMPV in nasopharyngeal swabs. While cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples did not exhibit HMPV RNA or specific IgM antibodies, the temporal association between HMPV infection and neurological symptoms strongly suggests a causative role.
Broader Implications
The study identified nine cases of CNS illness directly associated with HMPV nucleic acid presence in the upper respiratory tract. Compared to RSV, HMPV-infected children were s
ignificantly more likely to develop seizures. This data aligns with prior isolated case reports linking HMPV to a spectrum of CNS complications, from mild febrile seizures to severe, life-threatening encephalitis.
Study Conclusions
This Californian study provides compelling evidence that HMPV is neurotropic and can lead to a range of CNS issues in children. The findings emphasize the need for heightened clinical awareness and further research into diagnostic tools and potential treatments. Early detection and intervention could be life-saving for children at risk of severe outcomes. The collaborative effort of multiple esteemed institutions underscores the importance of addressing this under-recognized public health challenge.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
https://journals.lww.com/pidj/abstract/2009/12000/human_metapneumovirus_associated_with_central.7.aspx
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/doctors-warn-that-hmpv-can-trigger-deaths-in-children-with-covid-19
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/human-metapneumovirus-hmpv-can-impair-the-central-nervous-system
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/human-metapneumovirus-hmpv-can-cause-neurologic-issues
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/hmpv-human-metapneumovirus
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