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Volume 21, Number 2—February 2015
CME ACTIVITY - Research

Infectious Causes of Encephalitis and Meningoencephalitis in Thailand, 2003–2005

Sonja J. Olsen1Comments to Author , Angela P. Campbell1, Krongkaew Supawat, Sahas Liamsuwan, Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, Somsak Laptikulthum, Akravudh Viriyavejakul, Tasanee Tantirittisak, Supoch Tunlayadechanont, Anannit Visudtibhan, Punnee Vasiknanonte, Supachai Janjindamai, Pairoj Boonluksiri, Kiatsak Rajborirug, Veerachai Watanaveeradej, Nino Khetsuriani, Scott F. Dowell, and Thailand Encephalitis Surveillance Team
Author affiliations: Thailand Ministry of Public Health–US CDC Collaboration, Nonthaburi, Thailand (S.J. Olsen, S.F. Dowell); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (S.J. Olsen, A.P. Campbell, N. Khetsuriani, S.F. Dowell); Thailand Ministry of Health, Nonthaburi (K. Supawat); Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Bangkok (S. Liamsuwan, T. Chotpitayasunondh); Rajvithi Hospital, Bangkok (S. Laptikulthum); Prasat Neurological Institute of Thailand, Bangkok (A. Viriyavejakul, T. Tantirittisak); Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok (S. Tunlayadechanont, A. Visudtibhan); Prince Songkhla University Hospital, Hat Yai, Thailand (P. Vasiknanonte, S. Janjindamai); Hat Yai Hospital, Hat Yai (P. Boonluksiri, K. Rajborirug); Phramongkutklao Hospital, Bangkok (V. Watanaveeradej)

Main Article

Table 3

Final classification of cases of encephalitis into etiologic category Thailand, 2003–2005*

Pathogen
 Etiologic classification category Total
Confirmed
 Probable
 Possible
Adenovirus 0 0 7† 7
Bartonella henselae 0 0 0 0
Chikungunya virus 0 0 0 0
Cryptococcus spp. 3 0 0 3
Dengue virus 2 0 0 2
Epstein-Barr virus 0 3 0 3
Enteroviruses 6‡ 0 24§ 30
Escherichia coli 1 0 0 1
Herpes simplex virus 1/2 1 0 0 1
Human herpesvirus 6 0 0 0 0
Human herpesvirus 7 0 0 1 1
Haemophilus influenzae 3 0 0 3
HIV 0 0 8 8
Influenza viruses 0 1 5 6
Japanese encephalitis virus# 15 6 0 21
Malaria 0 0 0 0
Measles virus 0 0 10 10
Mumps virus 0 0 8 8
Mycoplasma pneumoniae 0 3 1 4
Nipah virus 0 0 0 0
Neisseria meningitidis 1 0 0 1
Other bacteria 0 0 21** 21
Orientia tsutsugamushi (scrub typhus) 0 6 0 6
Parainfluenza viruses 1,2,3 0 0 5 5
Parasites, other 0 0 0 0
Rabies virus 0 0 1†† 1
Rickettsia conorii (spotted fever) 0 3 0 3
Rubella 0 0 4 4
Salmonella group D 1 0 0 1
Streptococcus pneumoniae 3 0 0 3
Treponema pallidum 0 1‡‡ 0 1
Varicella-zoster virus 2 0 0 2
West Nile virus 0 0 0 0
Total no. pathogens detected 38 23 95 156
Total no. patients 37 17 44 98

*Strategy used is same as that shown in Table 1. Pathogen categories are not mutually exclusive.
†Only 1 in a cerebrospinal fluid sample was positive by PCR and it was adenovirus type 40.
‡Echovirus 9 (n = 3); echovirus 27 (n = 2); echovirus 30 (1).
§Enterovirus 71 (n = 3); enterovirus, untyped (n = 21).
Not typed.
#This number is 1 less confirmed Japanese encephalitis case than previously published (29). The excluded patient had onset of neurologic symptoms 18 d after hospital admission.
**See Table 2 for organisms, excludes coagulase-negative Staphylococcus.
††Record says never vaccinated.
‡‡Serum Venereal Disease Research Laboratory testing only.

Main Article

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1These authors contributed equally to this article.

2Members are listed at the end of this article.

Page created: January 15, 2015
Page updated: January 15, 2015
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