Viruses Affecting the Central Nervous System Flashcards
What is a neurotropic virus?
Capable of replicating in nerve cells
What is a neuroinvasive virus?
Capable of entering/infecting CNS
What is a neurovirulent virus?
Capable of causing disease within nervous system
What is encephalomyelitis?
Inflammation of brain and spinal cord
What is primary viral encephalitis/acute viral encephalitis?
Direct viral infection of spinal cord and brain
Can be focal or diffuse
What is secondary encephalitis/post-infectious encephalitis?
From complications of current viral infection
Virus spreads to brain
What is the most common route viruses take to the brain?
Blood
What is more common: viral or bacterial meningitis?
Viral
What is more severe: viral or bacterial meningitis?
Bacterial
What is the presentation of meningitis?
Headache Fever Neck stiffness \+/- vomiting \+/- photophobia
What is the main viral cause of meningitis?
Enteroviruses
How do enteroviruses enter the body?
Via mouth
What are some other viral causes of meningitis, that aren’t enteroviruses?
Mumps VZV Influenza HIV HSV 2
What is more severe: viral or bacterial encephalitis?
Viral
What is the presentation of encephalitis?
Like meningitis, but also
- Personality and behavioural changes
- Seizures
- Partial paralysis
- Hallucinations
- Altered state of consciousness
- Ultimately coma and death
What are the most common causes of viral encephalitis?
HSV 1 and 2
Rabiesvirus
Arboviruses (insect-borne)
Enteroviruses
Can mumps virus meningitis also cause encephalitis?
Yes but is generally mild
What is post-infectious encephalomyelitis?
Occurs few days after infections No virus present but - Inflammation - Demyelination Possibly autoimmune in nature
Which viruses can cause post-infectious encephalomyelitis?
Measles
Chickenpox
Rubella
Mumps
What is Guillain-Barre syndrome?
Acute inflammatory demyelinating disease after infection with several viruses
Partial/total paralysis in 75% of people
Full recovery within weeks
Doesn’t need active infection
Which viruses can cause Guillain-Barre syndrome?
EBV
CMV
HIV
What is Reye’s syndrome?
Post-infection with influenza or chickenpox in children
25% case-fatality rate
Cerebral oedema but no inflammation
Association with administration of aspirin during initial fever
What are chronic demyelinating diseases?
Very rare
Eg: sub-acute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)
- Late sequel (30 yrs) to measles infection
What is AIDS encephalopathy/AIDS dementia complex?
HIV infection > immunodeficiency > neurovirulent
50% of patients develop progressive dementia
How do some viruses avoid the blood-brain-barrier and enter the CNS?
Travel up axon fibres of peripheral nerves to CNS
What are some viruses that infect the CNS via peripheral nerves?
Rabiesvirus
Yellow fever virus
HSV 1 and 2
How are virions transported in the peripheral nerves?
Whole virions or uncoated nucleocapsids carried passively via anterograde or retrograde transport
Why aren’t viruses found by CD8 T cells?
Nerve cells express very few MHC I molecules
Where do viruses replicate in a neuron?
In cell body
How do virions travel from neuron to neuron?
Can cross synapse
Which viruses use blood to enter the CNS?
Poliovirus
Mumps virus
Measles virus
Coxsackievirus
How does HIV reach the CNS?
Via monocytes
What structures carry viruses into the CNS?
Cerebral blood vessel Direct spread from adjacent structures Meningeal blood vessel Peripheral nerve ending Nasal mucosa Blood vessel in choroid plexus
Which viruses enter through the olfactory bulb?
Coronavirus
HSV
Which viruses cause inflammatory diseases?
Those that directly kill neurons
What are the sequelae of extensive loss of neurons because of a viral infection?
Mental retardation Epilepsy Paralysis Deafness Blindness
Which cells do viruses replicate in that cause demyelination?
Oligodendrocytes
Does the immune response also cause damage during inflammation?
Yes