NOROVIRUS ENCEPHALOPATHY IN A PREVIOUSLY HEALTHY CHILD

Abstract

Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis in all age groups. Afebrile convulsion is an occasional neurologic complication in norovirus infection, but encephalitis is rare. We report the case of a previously healthy 15-month-old girl with norovirus encephalopathy who had a poor neurologic outcome. Norovirus (genogroup II) was detected in plasma and stool by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, but the cerebrospinal fluid showed negative result for genome. Elevated concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6, interleukin-10, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α were observed on the third day of illness. The encephalopathy in our patient may be related to hypercytokinemia rather than to direct viral invasion.