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

New Microbiol. 2012 Apr;35(2):161-5. Epub 2012 Mar 31.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

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

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral