Animalscaretips
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is "a viral infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and of the cerebrospinal fluid".
- Where is LCMV found?
- What causes lymphocytic choriomeningitis?
- What cell type does LCMV infect?
- How do you know if I have LCMV?
- Does LCMV go away?
- How do I get LCMV?
- What is lymphocyte meningitis?
- How long do LCMV symptoms last?
- How long is LCMV active?
- How do you test for lymphocytic choriomeningitis?
- How is LCMV treated?
- Is there a vaccine for LCMV?
- What happens Increase lymphocytes?
- What are lymphocytes do?
- Should lymphocytes be in CSF?
Where is LCMV found?
LCMV infections have been reported in Europe, the Americas, Australia, and Japan, and may occur wherever infected rodent hosts of the virus are found. The disease has historically been underreported, often making it difficult to determine incidence rates or estimates of prevalence by geographic region.
What causes lymphocytic choriomeningitis?
In humans, lymphocytic choriomeningitis is usually acquired via exposure to dust or consumption of food contaminated by mouse or hamster excreta. Most patients have no or minimal symptoms, but some develop a flu-like illness, and a few develop aseptic meningitis.
What cell type does LCMV infect?
5), indicating that DCs are the primary cell infected in vivo by immunosuppressive LCMV variants (Sevilla et al. 2000).
How do you know if I have LCMV?
Symptoms of LCMV infection are similar to those for influenza and include fever, stiff neck, a lack of appetite, muscle aches, headache, nausea and vomiting and occur 1–2 weeks after exposure to an infected rodent. The symptoms may be much more severe in pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system.
Does LCMV go away?
No chronic infection has been described in humans, and after the acute phase of illness, the virus is cleared from the body. However, as in all infections of the central nervous system, particularly encephalitis, temporary or permanent neurological damage is possible.
How do I get LCMV?
Infected rodents shed the virus in their nasal secretions, saliva, milk, semen, urine, and feces. Contact with rodent body fluids through broken skin, eyes, nose, accidental ingestion, or presumably, by the bite of an infected rodent, can lead to an LCMV infection.
What is lymphocyte meningitis?
The term "Aseptic Meningitis" denotes a clinical syndrome with a predominance of lymphocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), with no common bacterial agents identified in the CSF. Viral meningitis is considered the main cause of lymphocyte meningitis. There are other etiologies of an infectious nature.
How long do LCMV symptoms last?
LCMV infections have also been associated with pancreatitis, pneumonitis, myocarditis and pericarditis. The entire illness usually lasts 1 to 3 weeks, nonetheless, temporary or permanent neurological damage is possible in all central nervous system infections, especially in cases of meningoencephalitis.
How long is LCMV active?
LCMV will retain its infectivity for at least 206 days if stored in 50% glycerine and 0.85% saline at 4-10°C 1.
How do you test for lymphocytic choriomeningitis?
Laboratory diagnosis is usually made by detecting IgM and IgG antibodies in the CSF and serum. Virus can be detected by PCR or virus isolation in the CSF at during the acute stage of illness.
How is LCMV treated?
No specific drug treatment is indicated in most cases of LCMV infection. Most patients improve spontaneously within 1-3 weeks with no sequelae. Ribavirin has in vitro activity against LCMV and has been used with success in transplant recipients with severe disease. Intravenous ribavirin is not commercially available.
Is there a vaccine for LCMV?
– There is no vaccine for LCMV. LCMV infection can be prevented by avoiding contact with house mice and taking precautions when handling pet rodents (i.e. mice, hamsters, or guinea pigs). Although rare, pet rodents may become infected with LCMV from wild rodents.
What happens Increase lymphocytes?
High lymphocyte blood levels indicate your body is dealing with an infection or other inflammatory condition. Most often, a temporarily high lymphocyte count is a normal effect of your body's immune system working. Sometimes, lymphocyte levels are elevated because of a serious condition, like leukemia.
What are lymphocytes do?
Lymphocytes are cells that circulate in your blood that are part of the immune system. There are two main types lymphocytes: T cells and B cells. B cells produce antibody molecules that can latch on and destroy invading viruses or bacteria.
Should lymphocytes be in CSF?
Normal CSF contains a small number of lymphocytes and monocytes. The reference values are indicated in Table 6. The lymphocytes present in the CSF are similar to those in the peripheral blood. Small lymphocytes predominate, and 75 to 95% are T lymphocytes [31].
