Herpes simplex virus type 1 encephalitis in Mosul-Iraq

ABSTRACT

By enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] specific herpes simplex virus type I [HSVI] IgG antibodies were measured in paired sera and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] samples collected from 30 patients with acute encephalitis of suspected viral a etiology and 30 patients with neurological disturbances other than encephalitis. According to serological and CSF findings, herpes simplex virus encephalitis [HSVE] was diagnosed in six patients with acute encephalitis. All the diagnosed cases were of young age and infection was found to follow recurrent infection more commonly than following a primary infection. From this study, HSVE is not a rare disease and it must be strongly suspected in all young patients presented with acute encephalitis. In the absence of facilities for isolation of HSV1, by brain biopsy and culture, a diagnosis of HSVE could be made by detection of arise in CSF antibody level and reduced serum to CSF antibody ratio