Neurological Manifestation Associated with Chikungunya Infection in a Pediatric Patient from Itacoatiara, Brazilian Amazon: A Case Report

Viruses. 2024 Oct 24;16(11):1658. doi: 10.3390/v16111658.

Abstract

A 9-year-old male with autism and a history of well-controlled epilepsy presented with acute headache, fever, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Initial diagnostics, including imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, were inconclusive. However, further serological testing suggested the presence of the chikungunya virus, establishing a diagnosis of chikungunya-associated neurological manifestation. The patient was treated with anticonvulsants, antibiotics for secondary bacterial pneumonia, and supportive care, leading to a gradual recovery. This case highlights the importance of considering systemic viral infections in pediatric patients with neurological symptoms and underscores the potential for arboviruses like chikungunya to cause neurological manifestation.

Keywords: PRNT; case report; chikungunya; encephalitis; pediatrics.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use
  • Brazil
  • Chikungunya Fever* / complications
  • Chikungunya Fever* / diagnosis
  • Chikungunya Fever* / drug therapy
  • Chikungunya virus* / isolation & purification
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nervous System Diseases / diagnosis
  • Nervous System Diseases / etiology
  • Nervous System Diseases / virology
  • Seizures / etiology
  • Seizures / virology

Substances

  • Anticonvulsants