Encephalitis in Taiwan: a prospective hospital-based study.
To investigate encephalitis in Taiwan, a multicenter study was conducted with patients who had acute severe neurological dysfunction and suspected encephalitis from May 2000 to December 2001. Demographic data such as age, sex, and seasons were analyzed. Polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed to determine the microbiologic diagnosis. The patients included 73 males and 54 females, with a peak age of 10-40 years old. Microbiologic diagnoses in 86 (69%) of 124 cases involved herpes simplex virus (HSV, 45 cases), varicella zoster (16 cases), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (10 cases), cytomegalovirus (8 cases), adenovirus (5 cases), influenza (1 case), and enterovirus (1 case). Pathogens were found in 69% of the cases. Encephalitis was most likely to occur in June and July. Based on the results, HSV is still the major viral cause of encephalitis in Taiwan.
Lee
Tzu-Chi
TC
Department of Agronomy, Biometry Division, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan. cptsai@vghtpe.gov.tw
Tsai
Ching-Piao
CP
Yuan
Chih-Lun
CL
Wei
Cheng-Yu
CY
Tsao
Wen-Long
WL
Lee
Rung-Jan
RJ
Cheih
Su-Yi
SY
Huang
I-Tsong
IT
Chen
Kow-Tong
KT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D020306:Tuberculosis, Central Nervous System / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004279:DNA, Viral