Molecular evidence of neuroinvasive Sindbis virus infection in humans: detection in cerebrospinal fluid by next generation sequencing
Maria Grazia Cusi, Gianni Gori Savellini, Chiara Cassol, Cesira Nencioni, Laura Bernini, Danilo Tacconi, Giulia Alessandri, Letizia Rizzo, Gabriele Anichini, Teemu Smura, Olli Vapalahti · 2026
Read Molecular evidence of neuroinvasive Sindbis virus infection in humans: detection in cerebrospinal fluid by next generation sequencing by Maria Grazia Cusi, Gianni Gori Savellini, Chiara Cassol, Cesira Nencioni, Laura Bernini, Danilo Tacconi, Giulia Alessandri, Letizia Rizzo, Gabriele Anichini, Teemu Smura, Olli Vapalahti (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13398101.txt.
Description
Maria Grazia Cusi and co-authors report the first firm proof that Sindbis virus can invade the human brain and spinal cord. Their 2026 study finds viral RNA in spinal fluid from four local patients in south-eastern Tuscany, Italy, during July and August 2025. The mosquito-borne virus was known for joint pain outbreaks in northern Europe, Africa and Russia, with nerve involvement barely documented.
Gene sequencing of spinal fluid samples rebuilt whole viral genomes, strongly tying the virus to the patients' acute nerve symptoms. Family-tree analysis showed Clade D lineages circulating together in Italy, painting a tangled local picture. Sindbis, the authors conclude, should join the list of viruses doctors consider when the nervous system flares without a cause.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Maria Grazia Cusi, Gianni Gori Savellini, Chiara Cassol, Cesira Nencioni, Laura Bernini, Danilo Tacconi, Giulia Alessandri, Letizia Rizzo, Gabriele Anichini, Teemu Smura, Olli Vapalahti |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 32105 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |