Central nervous system infection in a pediatric population in West Java

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2023-11, Vol.17 (11), p.e0011769-e0011769
• Main Authors: Alisjahbana, Dewi H, Nurmawati, Syndi, Milanti, Mia, Djauhari, Hofiya, Ledermann, Jeremy P, Antonjaya, Ungke, Dewi, Yora Permata, Johar, Edison, Wiyatno, Ageng, Sriyani, Ida Yus, Alisjahbana, Bachti, Safari, Dodi, Myint, Khin Saw Aye, Powers, Ann M, Hakim, Dzulfikar Dl
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aetiology; Bacterial infections; Bacterial pneumonia; Care and treatment; Central nervous system; Central nervous system diseases; Central Nervous System Infections - epidemiology; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases - cerebrospinal fluid; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases - complications; Cerebrospinal fluid; Child; Children; Cytomegalovirus; Dengue fever; Dengue viruses; Developing countries; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Diseases; Encephalitis; Etiology; Herpes viruses; HIV; Human diseases; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Identification methods; Indonesia; Indonesia - epidemiology; Laboratories; LDCs; Medical referrals; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Meningitis; Morbidity; Mortality; Nervous system; Pathogens; Patients; Pediatrics; Pneumonia; Population; Salmonella; Standard of care; Streptococcus infections; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - complications; Vector-borne diseases; Virus diseases; Viruses
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011769

Central nervous system (CNS) viral infections are critical causes of morbidity and mortality in children; however, comprehensive data on etiology is lacking in developing countries such as Indonesia. To study the etiology of CNS infections in a pediatric population, 50 children admitted to two hospitals in Bandung, West Java, during 2017-2018 were enrolled in a CNS infection study. Cerebrospinal fluid and serum specimens were tested using molecular, serological, and virus isolation platforms for a number of viral and bacteriological agents. Causal pathogens were identified in 10 out of 50 (20%) and included cytomegalovirus (n = 4), Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 2), tuberculosis (n = 2), Salmonella serotype Typhi (n = 1) and dengue virus (n = 1). Our study highlights the importance of using a wide range of molecular and serological detection methods to identify CNS pathogens, as well as the challenges of establishing the etiology of CNS infections in pediatric populations of countries with limited laboratory capacity.