Prevalence of Toscana sandfly fever virus antibodies in neurological patients and control subjects in Sicily.

Abstract

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.

• Authors: Claudia Colomba, Laura Saporito, Maria Grazia Ciufolini, Antonella Marchi, Valentina Rotolo, Simona De Grazia, Lucina Titone, Giovanni M Giammanco
• Journal: The new microbiologica (New Microbiol) Vol. 35 Issue 2 Pg. 161-5 (Apr 2012) ISSN: 1121-7138 [Print] Italy
• PMID: 22707128 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Viral

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Antibodies, Viral (immunology)
• Case-Control Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nervous System Diseases (epidemiology, etiology, immunology, virology)
• Retrospective Studies
• Sandfly fever Naples virus (immunology)
• Seroepidemiologic Studies
• Sicily (epidemiology)