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. 2020 Mar 31;10(3):47–63. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v10.i3.47

Table 1.

Clinical manifestations of emerging and neglected zoonoses in non-transplant and transplant population

Pathogen Clinical presentation
Laboratory diagnosis Ref.
Immunocompetent patients Immunocompromised patients
Vector-borne zoonoses
Tick-borne encephalitis virus Asymptomatic infection to severe encephalitis Few data: One cluster of fatal TBE ELISA (IgM, IgG), Avidity; VNT; RT-PCR [4,14-16]
Borrelia burgdorferi Erythema migrans, arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, neuroborreliosis Possible dissemination with severe neurological and cardiac symptoms ELISA (IgM, IgG); IFA (IgM, IgG); Immunoblot (IgM, IgG); PCR [4,18-20]
Anaplasma phagocytophilum Mostly self-limiting disease, non-specific symptoms, rash, gastrointestinal and CNS involvement Unusual presentations: Acute respiratory distress syndrome, haemorrhagic manifestations, pancreatitis, acute renal failure, orchitis Microscopy of peripheral blood (morulae); IFA (seroconversion of 4-fold increase in IgG titer); PCR [4,26,32,33,43]
Ehrlichia spp. Self-limiting febrile illness to fatal multi-organ failure More frequently severe manifestations: Fatal multiorgan failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome meningoencephalitis, toxic and septic-like syndromes Microscopy of peripheral blood (morulae); IFA (seroconversion of 4-fold increase in IgG titer); PCR [4,25,36,37,42]
Rickettsia spp. Self-limiting disease, flu-like symptoms, with or without eschar and rash; vasculitis-mediated organ failure Few data: More frequently severe manifestations, splenic rupture IFA (IgM, IgG); PCR [4,49,51]
Orientia tsutsugamushi Nonspecific febrile illness to fatal multiorgan failure, eschar, CNS involvement Few data: Only one case with eschar and renal graft dysfunction IFA (IgM, IgG); PCR [4,53,54]
Rift Valley Fever virus Subclinical to severe febrile illness, fatal haemorrhagic fever Few data: Only one case with meningoencephalitis ELISA (IgM, IgG); VNT; RT-PCR [4,59,61]
St. Louis encephalitis virus Majority asymptomatic, febrile illness, aseptic meningitis and encephalitis Few data: Meningoencephalitis ELISA (IgM, IgG); VNT; RT-PCR [4,63,65]
Zika virus Asymptomatic infection to severe neurological disorders Infectious complications and graft rejection ELISA (IgM, IgG); VNT; RT-PCR [4,69-71]
Chikungunya virus Mild febrile illness and polyarthralgia, rarely meningoencephalitis, myocarditis No impact on graft function ELISA (IgM, IgG); VNT; RT-PCR [4,74,75,77,79,80]
Dengue virus Asymptomatic infection to severe fatal illness More commonly prolonged course with complications and graft rejection ELISA (IgM, IgG); VNT; NS1 antigen; RT-PCR [4,82,84-86]
West Nile virus Asymptomatic infection, mild febrile disease, neuroinvasive disease (elderly) Fatal neuroinvasive disease more frequent ELISA (IgM, IgG); VNT; Avidity; VNT; RT-PCR [4,87,96,97,108,109]
Usutu virus Asymptomatic infection, neuroinvasive disease (elderly) Fatal neuroinvasive disease more frequent ELISA (IgM, IgG); VNT; RT-PCR [4,114-119]
Eastern equine encephalitis virus Asymptomatic, neuroinvasive disease (meningitis, encephalitis) Few data: Neuroinvasive disease ELISA (IgM, IgG); VNT; RT-PCR [4,123,124]
Leishmania spp. Cutaneous, mucocutaneus and visceral leishmaniasis The same as in immunocompetent; organomegaly may be less frequent in visceral leishmaniasis Microscopy; Culture; PCR; IFA (IgM, IgG) [4,129,130]
Non-vector-borne zoonoses
Hepatitis E virus Asymptomatic infection, fulminant hepatitis, acute-on-chronic liver failure, extrahepatic manifestations Chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, extrahepatic manifestations ELISA (IgM, IgG); Immunoblot (IgM, IgG); RT-PCR [4,131-133,135,136]
Rabies virus Fatal encephalitis Fatal encephalitis Microscopy (Negri bodies); DFA (antigen detection); IHC (antigen detection); RT-PCR, RFFIT, FAVN [4,143-146]
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus Asymptomatic infection, nonspecific febrile illness, aseptic meningitis More severe clinical presentation, hepatitis, meningoencephalitis, multiorgan failure ELISA (IgM, IgG); IFA (IgM, IgG); RT-PCR [4,99,151,152]
Toxoplasma gondii Asymptomatic, mononucleosis-like symptoms More severe clinical presentation, cerebral toxoplasmosis, fatal disseminated disease ELISA (IgM, IgG); IFA (IgM, IgG); Avidity, Immunoblot (IgM, IgG); PCR [4,156-158]

CNS: Central nervous system; DFA: Direct immunofluorescence assay; ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; FAVN: Fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test; IFA: Indirect immunofluorescence assay; IgG: Immunoglobulin G; IgM: Immunoglobulin M; IHC: Immunohistochemistry; NS1: Non-structural protein 1; PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; RT-PCR: Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; TBE: Tick-borne encephalitis; RFFIT: Rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test; VNT: Virus neutralization test.