Clinical Application of Phage Immunoprecipitation Sequencing to Diagnose Enterovirus D68 as the Underlying Etiology in a Case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

J Infect Dis. 2025 Feb 20;231(2):490-494. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiae411.

Abstract

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute peripheral neuropathy often preceded by respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, though molecular testing of cerebrospinal fluid is often inconclusive. In a recent case of severe pediatric GBS in British Columbia, Canada, we detected cerebrospinal fluid antibodies against enterovirus D to link GBS with prior enterovirus D68 respiratory infection.

Keywords: Guillain-Barré syndrome; case report; enterovirus D68; nonpolio enterovirus; phage immunoprecipitation sequencing.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / cerebrospinal fluid
  • British Columbia
  • Enterovirus D, Human* / genetics
  • Enterovirus D, Human* / immunology
  • Enterovirus D, Human* / isolation & purification
  • Enterovirus Infections* / complications
  • Enterovirus Infections* / diagnosis
  • Enterovirus Infections* / virology
  • Female
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome* / diagnosis
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome* / etiology
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome* / virology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / complications
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / virology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral