Persistent viremia and urine shedding of tick-borne encephalitis virus in an infected immunosuppressed patient from a new epidemic cluster in North-Eastern Italy

Ilaria Caracciolo; Matteo Bassetti; Giorgio Paladini; Roberto Luzzati; Daniela Santon; Maria Merelli; Giovanni De Sabbata; Tea Carletti; Alessandro Marcello; Pierlanfranco D'Agaro

doi:10.1016/j.jcv.2015.05.019

Persistent viremia and urine shedding of tick-borne encephalitis virus in an infected immunosuppressed patient from a new epidemic cluster in North-Eastern Italy

J Clin Virol. 2015 Aug:69:48-51. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2015.05.019. Epub 2015 May 29.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy.
² Infectious Diseases Clinic, Santa Maria Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy.
³ Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Trieste, Italy.
⁴ Infectious Diseases Unit, University Hospital, Trieste, Italy.
⁵ Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
⁶ Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy.
⁷ Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy; Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 26209378
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2015.05.019

Abstract

A persistent tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in an immune-suppressed patient is presented. Such an unusual clinical case offers the unique chance of detecting persistent viremia associated to the erythrocyte fraction and shedding of the virus in the urine for more than six weeks. The infection occurred in a new area of the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region (North Eastern Italy) where two additional cases are also being reported.

Keywords: Friuli-Venezia Giulia region; Immuno-compromized host; Italy; Persistent infection; Real-time PCR; Sequencing; TBEV; Tick-borne encephalitis; Trieste; Virus isolation.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Antibodies, Viral / blood
Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
Antineoplastic Agents / immunology
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / genetics*
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / immunology
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / isolation & purification
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / physiology*
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / diagnosis
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / epidemiology
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / virology*
Epidemics
Humans
Immunocompromised Host*
Italy / epidemiology
Male
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Urine / virology*
Viremia / virology*
Virus Shedding*

Substances

Antibodies, Viral
Antineoplastic Agents