Prevalence of Toscana sandfly fever virus antibodies in neurological patients and control subjects in Sicily
Colomba, C.; Saporito, L.; Ciufolini, M.G.; Marchi, A.; Rotolo, V.; De Grazia, S.; Titone, L.; Giammanco, G.M.
New Microbiologica 35(2): 161-165
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1121-7138 PMID: 22707128 Document Number: 659821
Toscana sandfly fever virus (TOSV) is an arthropod-borne virus transmitted to humans by sandfly vectors. It has been associated with human cases of meningitis and meningo-encephalitis mainly occurring during the warm season. We performed a retrospective serological study to evaluate TOSV circulation in Palermo, Sicily, and to compare TOSV seroprevalence in patients with neurological symptoms and in a control group of patients without neurological symptoms. When sera from 155 patients with and without neurological symptoms were evaluated, the rate of overall TOSV IgG reactivity was 17.4%. Patients with neurological symptoms showed a higher percentage of TOSV IgG positivity than control patients (25% versus 10.8%). TOSV exposure was confirmed by virus neutralization tests which also detected a Naples virus (SFNV) infection. TOSV should be considered as an etiologic agent in the differential diagnosis of fever and meningo-encephalitis in Sicily.