What are examples of neurotropic viruses?

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Neurotropic Viruses

Neurotropic viruses comprise a diverse group of pathogens capable of invading and infecting the central nervous system, including DNA viruses (herpesviruses), RNA viruses (flaviviruses, alphaviruses, coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses), and retroviruses. 1

DNA Viruses

Herpesviridae Family

  • Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes both acute encephalitis and establishes latent infection in neural tissue, demonstrating high neuroinvasiveness for the peripheral nervous system but paradoxically weak neuroinvasiveness yet high neurovirulence for the CNS 2, 3
  • Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes acute infection and can establish latency in dorsal root ganglia, later reactivating to cause neurological complications 2
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are neurotropic members of the herpesvirus family with documented CNS infection capability 2

RNA Viruses

Flaviviruses

  • Japanese encephalitis virus is a highly neuroinvasive and neurovirulent arbovirus causing severe encephalitis 2, 3
  • West Nile virus demonstrates significant neuroinvasive and neurovirulent properties 3
  • Zika virus (ZIKV) has demonstrated neurotropism particularly affecting neural progenitor cells, causing microcephaly in fetuses and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults 1
  • Yellow fever vaccine virus (17D strain) can rarely cause neurotropic disease through direct CNS invasion, manifesting as meningoencephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis 1

Alphaviruses

  • Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus causes acute neurological infection 2
  • Chikungunya virus (ChikV) emerged as a neurotropic threat during the 2005-2006 outbreak, causing encephalitis and encephalopathy with 10% case fatality rate among neurological cases 1
  • California encephalitis virus is recognized as causing acute CNS infection 2

Coronaviruses

  • OC43 and 229E strains infect fetal and adult neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, with viral RNA detected in post-mortem human brains 1
  • SARS-CoV-1 demonstrated neurotropism with neuropsychiatric sequelae during the 2002-2003 outbreak 1
  • SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) shows emerging evidence of CNS infection, with 36.4% of patients experiencing neurological manifestations including encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, and acute demyelination 1
  • MERS, HKU1, and NL63 are betacoronaviruses with documented neurotropic potential, with HKU1 and NL63 associated with new-onset psychosis (OR 1.3 and 2.4 respectively) 1

Paramyxoviruses

  • Measles virus causes acute infection and can lead to slow virus infection manifesting as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis 2, 3
  • Mumps virus is a recognized cause of acute viral encephalitis 2, 3

Orthomyxoviruses

  • Influenza virus has documented neurotropic capabilities causing acute CNS infection 2

Rhabdoviruses

  • Rabies virus is uniformly neurotropic, causing fatal encephalitis through retrograde axonal transport to the CNS 2

Picornaviruses

  • Poliovirus targets motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem 2, 3
  • Coxsackievirus and echovirus (enteroviruses) cause acute neurological infections including meningitis and encephalitis 2, 3
  • Parechovirus is an emerging neurotropic enterovirus 3

Filoviruses

  • Ebola virus (EVD) demonstrates neurotropism with documented CNS multiplication, as evidenced by lower RT-PCR CT values in CSF compared to plasma, suggesting viral replication within the central nervous system 1

Retroviruses

  • Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes slow progressive neurological disease 2
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes CNS damage leading to cognitive deficits and mood disorders through direct neurotropic effects 1

Other Neurotropic Viruses

Polyomaviruses

  • JC virus causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a slow virus infection of oligodendrocytes 2

Togaviruses

  • Rubella virus can cause slow virus infection with long-term neurological consequences 2

Hepatitis Viruses

  • Hepatitis E virus (HEV) demonstrates neurotropism with documented ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, causing Guillain-Barré syndrome (5-11% of GBS cases), neuralgic amyotrophy, and encephalitis/myelitis, with quasispecies compartmentalization between serum and CSF suggesting CNS-specific viral replication 1

Clinical Significance

  • The degree of neuroinvasiveness (ability to enter CNS) and neurovirulence (ability to cause neuronal damage) varies significantly among neurotropic viruses, influenced by genomic constitution, associated vectors, geographical distribution, and environmental factors 3
  • Neurotropic viruses exploit weaknesses in immunological defenses to reach CNS neurons, where they induce neuronal dysfunction through direct cytopathic effects, immune-mediated damage via reactive microglia and astrocytes, or molecular mimicry triggering autoimmune responses 4, 5, 6

References

1
Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

2
Research

[Neurotropic viruses--classification, structure and characteristics].

Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine, 1997

6
Research

Virus-induced neuronal dysfunction and degeneration.

Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition), 2009

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Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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