As a rule, the herpes virus causes unpleasant but harmless infections: cold sores that disappear on their own. However, in some people the infection can spread to the central nervous system and cause encephalitis, a serious inflammation of the brain.
In young children, diagnosis is often difficult and without early antiviral treatment, encephalitis can cause serious neurological damage or death. A weak point in the immune system means that normally harmless herpes viruses can, in rare cases, cause life-threatening encephalitis.
Researchers from the Lausanne University Hospital (Chuv) have identified a genetic cause linked to interferon production in combination with other factors for this vulnerability, as they reported in a study in the journal Nature. This discovery expands the catalog of genetic tests that can be offered to people at risk, the Chuv said.
Without interferons, viruses have an easy time
Interferons are part of the immune system. They are proteins produced by infected cells to protect neighboring cells and limit the spread of the virus in the body. Without interferons, herpes can spread to the brain, where immune mechanisms are limited.
Source: Krone
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