Detection of viruses in CSF and Serum Samples with NGS methods

Encephalitis and meningitis pose significant public concerns worldwide, particularly in infants or children. However, a large percentage 40%-60% of these cases have an unknown cause. The use of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has helped to shed light on the viruses responsible for these conditions and led to more accurate diagnosis of there etiology. This study focused on 113 children with encephalitis and meningitis, and used mNGS to examine the viral profiles present in paired specimens of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. The results suggest that CSF samples still have irreplaceable advantages for using mNGS to detect viruses in patients with meningitis and encephalitis, and serum can supplement to improve the detection rate of viral encephalitis and meningitis. The findings can benefit the etiological diagnosis, clinical management and prognosis of meningitis and encephalitis in children.