Determination of human herpes simplex virus in clear cerebrospinal fluids by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Rwanda

  • Edouard Ntagwabira
  • Dufton Mwaengo
  • Jean-Frederic Flandin
  • Charles Muhizi
  • Omu Anzala
  • Odette Mukabayire

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test CSF obtained from different regions of Rwanda for herpes simplex viruses (HSV) type 1 and 2 using a commercial multiplex PCR kit. CSF samples were obtained from patients with clinical suspicion of meningitis and encephalitis which may be caused by different microorganisms including herpes viruses. More than 80% of clear cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) submitted to two referral hospitals (King Faisal Hospital and University Teaching Hospital of Kigali) and to the National Reference Laboratory of Rwanda, were found to be negative for Cryptococcus neoformans and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the only microorganisms tested at these facilities.

Keywords: Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1), herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2), cerebrospinal fluids, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), meningitis, encephalitis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rwanda

African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(19), pp. 2553-2557

Author Biographies

Edouard Ntagwabira
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Dufton Mwaengo
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Kigali Health Institute, Kigali, Rwanda
Jean-Frederic Flandin
Rwanda Biomedical Center-National Reference Laboratory, Kigali, Rwanda
Charles Muhizi
Centre Hospitalier de Butare, Huye, Rwanda.
Omu Anzala
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Odette Mukabayire
Rwanda Biomedical Center-National Reference Laboratory, Kigali, Rwanda.
Published
2016-02-04
Section
Articles

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eISSN: 1684-5315