Open AccessCombined testing for herpes simplex virus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with aseptic meningitis in Burkina Faso, West Africa
Author(s) -
Zida Sylvie,
KoliaDiafouka Pratt,
Kania Dramane,
Sotto Albert,
Foulongne Vincent,
Bolloré Karine,
Ouangraoua Soumeya,
Méda Nicolas,
CarrèreKremer Séverine,
Van de Perre Philippe,
Tuaillon Edouard
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of clinical laboratory analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1098-2825
pISSN - 0887-8013
DOI - 10.1002/jcla.22719
Subject(s) - aseptic meningitis , mycobacterium tuberculosis , virology , medicine , herpes simplex virus , tuberculosis , meningitis , cerebrospinal fluid , polymerase chain reaction , encephalitis , virus , immunology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , pathology , pediatrics , biochemistry
Background Little is known about the involvement of herpes simplex virus (HSV) or Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) as potentially curable causes of central nervous system (CNS) infections in sub‐Saharan Africa. Objective In this study, we developed a PCR assay dedicated to simultaneous testing of HSV1/HSV2 and MTB in Burkina Faso, a country where HSV is neglected as a cause of CNS infection and where TB prevalence is high. Methods A consensus HSV1/HSV2 set of primers and probe were designed and combined to primers and probe targeting the IS6110 repetitive insertion sequence of MTB. Analytical performances of the assay were evaluated on reference materials. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from subjects with aseptic meningitis was tested for HSV1/HSV2 and MTB DNA. Results The UL29 gene was chosen as a highly conserved region targeted by the HSV1/HSV2 nucleic acid test. The lower limits of detection were estimated to be 2.45 copies/µL for HSV1, 1.72 copies/µL for HSV2, and 2.54 IS6110 copies per µL for MTB. The PCR was used in 202 CSF collected from subjects suspected of aseptic meningitis. Five samples (2.46%) tested positive, including two children positive for HSV1 (0.99%) and three adults tested positive for MTB (1.47%). Conclusion Using an in‐house real‐time PCR assay, we showed that both HSV and MTB are etiologic pathogens contributing to aseptic meningitis in Burkina Faso. This molecular test may have clinical utility for early diagnosis for those treatable CNS infections.