6533b856fe1ef96bd12b2caf

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Prevalence of Toscana sand fly virus antibodies in neurological patients and control subjects in Sicily

Claudia ColombaLaura SaporitoValentina RotoloSimona De GraziaLucina Titone Lanza Di ScaleaGiovanni GiammancoMg CiufoliniA Marchi

subject

Settore MED/07 - Microbiologia E Microbiologia ClinicaToscana virus SicilySettore MED/17 - Malattie Infettive

description

Toscana sandfly fever virus (TOSV) is an arthropod-borne virus transmitted to humans by sandfly vectors. It has been associated with human cases of meningitis and meningo-encephalitis mainly occurring during the warm season. We performed a retrospective serological study to evaluate TOSV circulation in Palermo, Sicily, and to compare TOSV seroprevalence in patients with neurological symptoms and in a control group of patients without neurological symptoms. When sera from 155 patients with and without neurological symptoms were evaluated, the rate of overall TOSV IgG reactivity was 17.4%. Patients with neurological symptoms showed a higher percentage of TOSV IgG positivity than control patients (25% versus 10.8%). TOSV exposure was confirmed by virus neutralization tests which also detected a Naples virus (SFNV) infection. TOSV should be considered as an etiologic agent in the differential diagnosis of fever and meningo-encephalitis in Sicily.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2012-01-01
http://hdl.handle.net/10447/64900