Meningoencephalitis Caused by Borreliamiyamotoi

This spirochete, now found in Lyme disease vectors worldwide, was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of an older, immunocompromised patient with progressive mental status decline.

In recent years, Borrelia miyamotoi has been detected in Lyme disease vectors worldwide, and human illness attributed to this organism has been described in Russia. Now, investigators describe an 80-year-old immunocompromised female patient in New Jersey who showed evidence of B. miyamotoi infection.

The woman underwent evaluation for mental status decline over 4 months. Her history included a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, for which she had been receiving rituximab every 6 months following aggressive chemotherapy approximately 7 years earlier. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain yielded no acute findings. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing showed pleocytosis with an increased protein level; both Gram and Giemsa staining of a cytospin…

Reviewing Author

Larry M. Baddour, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate, Inc. (Authorship duties)

Larry M. Baddour, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate, Inc. (Authorship duties)