Human Coronavirus OC43 Associated with Fatal Encephalitis

Abstract

Encephalitis is a serious neurologic syndrome characterized by brain inflammation that may be fatal. Although the majority of cases are caused by viruses, the identification of a causal organism can be difficult. Encephalopathy that affects patients with immunodeficiency is particularly challenging to diagnose, since the clinical presentation may be atypical and the differential diagnosis may include unusual pathogens or a noninfective cause. Deep sequencing of clinical samples has the potential to identify the pathogens associated with encephalitis, particularly in cases in which traditional techniques have not identified the candidate causative pathogen.¹