Neurologic Complications of Influenza B Virus Infection in Adults, Romania

• Main Authors: Corneliu P. Popescu, Simin A. Florescu, Emilia Lupulescu, Mihaela Zaharia, Gratiela Tardei, Mihaela Lazar, Emanoil Ceausu, Simona M. Ruta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2017-04-01
• Series: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: influenza B virus; viruses; influenza; influenza vaccine; neurologic complications; meningitis/encephalitis
• Online Access: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/4/16-1317_article
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059

We characterized influenza B virus–related neurologic manifestations in an unusually high number of hospitalized adults at a tertiary care facility in Romania during the 2014–15 influenza epidemic season. Of 32 patients with a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of influenza B virus infection, neurologic complications developed in 7 adults (median age 31 years). These complications were clinically diagnosed as confirmed encephalitis (4 patients), possible encephalitis (2 patients), and cerebellar ataxia (1 patient). Two of the patients died. Virus sequencing identified influenza virus B (Yam)-lineage clade 3, which is representative of the B/Phuket/3073/2013 strain, in 4 patients. None of the patients had been vaccinated against influenza. These results suggest that influenza B virus can cause a severe clinical course and should be considered as an etiologic factor for encephalitis.