Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for the etiological diagnosis of rabies virus in cerebrospinal fluid

作者：Liu, Yong; Mo, Xichao; Feng, Ye; Willoughby, Rodney E.; Weng, Xing; Wang, Yuyang; Li, Xing; Gao, Junling; Tian, Jinfei; Peng, Jie^*

来源：Frontiers in Medicine, 2023, 10: 982290.

DOI：10.3389/fmed.2023.982290

• rabies
• rabies virus
• metagenomic next-generation sequencing
• diagnosis
• cerebrospinal fluid

BackgroundRabies is a highly fatal disease. Once symptoms develop, death usually occurs within days. Survivors were occasionally reported in the literatures. Ante-mortem diagnosis remains a challenge in most rabies endemic countries. A novel, accurate diagnostic assay is highly desirable. MethodsWe used metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to examine the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of a 49-year-old patient with rabies and validated the results by TaqMan PCR and RT-PCR/Sanger sequencing. ResultsMetagenomic next-generation sequencing identified sequence reads uniquely aligned to the rabies virus (RABV). PCR confirmed the presence of the partial RABV N gene in the CSF. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the RABV grouped as an Asian clade, which is the most broadly distributed clade in China. ConclusionMetagenomic next-generation sequencing may be a useful screening tool for the etiological diagnosis of rabies, especially in the absence of timely rabies laboratory testing or in patients with no exposure history.

• 单位
  中国医科大学; 南方医科大学; 深圳华大基因研究院