Fatal Encephalitis Caused by Cristoli Virus, an Emerging Orthobunyavirus, France

Christophe Rodriguez, Guillaume Gricourt, Melissa Ndebi, Vanessa Demontant, Lila Poiteau, Sonia Burrel, David Boutolleau, Paul-Louis Woerther, Vincent Calvez, Sebastian Stroer, Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, Christophe Rodriguez, Guillaume Gricourt, Melissa Ndebi, Vanessa Demontant, Lila Poiteau, Sonia Burrel, David Boutolleau, Paul-Louis Woerther, Vincent Calvez, Sebastian Stroer, Jean-Michel Pawlotsky

Abstract

We report the discovery of a new orthobunyavirus, Cristoli virus, by means of shotgun metagenomics. The virus was identified in an immunodepressed patient with fatal encephalitis. Full-length genome sequencing revealed high-level expression of a virulence factor, possibly explaining the severity of the infection. The patient's recent history suggests circulation in France.

Keywords: Cristoli virus; France; meningitis/encephalitis; orthobunyavirus; shotgun metagenomics; viruses.

Figures

Figure
Figure
Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging scans compatible with the diagnosis of encephalitis in a 58-year-old woman, France. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2 hypersignals in limbic system structures, including both amygdalae (A, arrows), temporal poles (B, arrows), and insular cortex (C), associated with FLAIR hyperintensities of the cerebellar cortex (D).

References

    1. Elliott RM. Orthobunyaviruses: recent genetic and structural insights. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2014;12:673–85. 10.1038/nrmicro3332
    1. Li D. A highly pathogenic new bunyavirus emerged in China. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2013;2:e1. 10.1038/emi.2013.1
    1. Huang YS, Higgs S, Vanlandingham DL. Emergence and re-emergence of mosquito-borne arboviruses. Curr Opin Virol. 2019;34:104–9. 10.1016/j.coviro.2019.01.001
    1. Huang B, Allcock R, Warrilow D. Newly characterized arboviruses of northern Australia. Virol Rep. 2016;6:11–7. 10.1016/j.virep.2016.01.001
    1. Granerod J, Ambrose HE, Davies NW, Clewley JP, Walsh AL, Morgan D, et al.; UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) Aetiology of Encephalitis Study Group. Causes of encephalitis and differences in their clinical presentations in England: a multicentre, population-based prospective study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2010;10:835–44. 10.1016/S1473-3099(10)70222-X
    1. Rodriguez C, Jary A, Hua C, Woerther PL, Bosc R, Desroches M, et al.; Multidisciplinary Necrotizing Fasciitis Study Group. Pathogen identification by shotgun metagenomics of patients with necrotizing soft-tissue infections. Br J Dermatol. 2019;bjd.18611. 10.1111/bjd.18611
    1. Reguera J, Weber F, Cusack S. Bunyaviridae RNA polymerases (L-protein) have an N-terminal, influenza-like endonuclease domain, essential for viral cap-dependent transcription. PLoS Pathog. 2010;6:e1001101. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001101
    1. Fazakerley JK, Gonzalez-Scarano F, Strickler J, Dietzschold B, Karush F, Nathanson N. Organization of the middle RNA segment of snowshoe hare Bunyavirus. Virology. 1988;167:422–32. 10.1016/S0042-6822(88)90104-3
    1. Briese T, Rambaut A, Lipkin WI. Analysis of the medium (M) segment sequence of Guaroa virus and its comparison to other orthobunyaviruses. J Gen Virol. 2004;85:3071–7. 10.1099/vir.0.80122-0
    1. Wilson MR, Sample HA, Zorn KC, Arevalo S, Yu G, Neuhaus J, et al. Clinical metagenomic sequencing for diagnosis of meningitis and encephalitis. N Engl J Med. 2019;380:2327–40. 10.1056/NEJMoa1803396
    1. Bridgen A, Weber F, Fazakerley JK, Elliott RM. Bunyamwera bunyavirus nonstructural protein NSs is a nonessential gene product that contributes to viral pathogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001;98:664–9. 10.1073/pnas.98.2.664
    1. Weber F, Bridgen A, Fazakerley JK, Streitenfeld H, Kessler N, Randall RE, et al. Bunyamwera bunyavirus nonstructural protein NSs counteracts the induction of alpha/beta interferon. J Virol. 2002;76:7949–55. 10.1128/JVI.76.16.7949-7955.2002
    1. Ter Horst S, Conceição-Neto N, Neyts J, Rocha-Pereira J. Structural and functional similarities in bunyaviruses: Perspectives for pan-bunya antivirals. Rev Med Virol. 2019;29:e2039. 10.1002/rmv.2039

Source: PubMed

Sponsoren und Mitarbeiter

Krankheiten

Drogeninterventionen

3
Abonnieren