Health News

Tuscany viruses cause meningitis

New pathogens from the south: For the first time so-called Tuscany viruses were detected in Germany. First infections were reported from Baden-Württemberg.

(02.08.2010) According to the magazine "Fokus", Tuscany viruses were detected for the first time in Germany. According to the newspaper, first cases of illness were reported in Baden-Württemberg. The viruses can cause mild meningitis in humans.

The virus is said to have spread in the southwest of Germany near the Upper Rhine from the Mediterranean. As transmitters of the Tuscany virus the so-called Sandmücken are suspected. The magazine refers to a hitherto unpublished research work of physicians from Göttingen, Freiburg and the Klinikum Pforzheim. When a human being is infected with the virus, it leads to a mild meningitis, which subsides after a few days, explained neurologist Reinhard Kaiser to "Focus".

The Tuscany virus is a "subtype" of sandfly fever virus and the most common pathogen of phlebotomus fever. A phlebotomus fever is usually benign and even a meningitis disappears without a special therapy after a few days. It is very rare to permanent nerve damage.

In their research work, the physicians investigated cases of inflammation in people of recent years for whom no valid diagnosis has been made so far. The researchers found that ten patients had antibodies against the Tuscany virus. During the two-week incubation period, all ten patients studied were not in Southern Europe. For the physicians it seems that they are right now in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The research will soon be published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

In addition to the Tuscany virus, doctors had also detected the so-called Sindbis virus in Baden-Württemberg for the first time. These viruses are also transmitted by mosquitoes. The course of the virus infection is usually harmless. The symptoms include fever, joint pain and inflammation, as well as rashes. Only very few infected persons develop encephalitis. (Sb)