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Case Reports
. 2025 Feb;31(2):215-221.
doi: 10.3201/eid3102.240831.

Two Human Cases of Fatal Meningoencephalitis Associated with Potosi and Lone Star Virus Infections, United States, 2020-2023

Charles Y Chiu, Raja Rama Godasi, Holly R Hughes, Venice Servellita, Kafaya Foresythe, Asritha Tubati, Kelsey Zorn, Sukhman Sidhu, Michael R Wilson, Sai Varun Bethina, Daniel Abenroth, Yee Cheng, Raymond Grams, Camilla Reese, Carlos Isada, Neeharika Thottempudi
Case Reports

Two Human Cases of Fatal Meningoencephalitis Associated with Potosi and Lone Star Virus Infections, United States, 2020-2023

Charles Y Chiu et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

We used clinical metagenomic next-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid to investigate bunyavirus infections in 2 immunocompromised patients in the United States who had fatal meningoencephalitis. Potosi virus has been isolated from mosquito vectors and Lone Star virus from tick vectors. These findings highlight the power of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in broad-based, agnostic detection of emerging viral infections that test negative using conventional targeted diagnostic methods.

Keywords: Aedes albopictus mosquito; Amyblomma americanum tick; LSV; Lone Star virus; POTV; Potosi virus; United States; arboviruses; arthropod-borne viruses; bunyavirus; mNGS; meningitis/encephalitis; meningoencephalitis; metagenomic next-generation sequencing; mosquitoes; ticks; vector-borne infections; viruses.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from 2 patients with bunyavirus-associated meningoencephalitis, United States, 2020–2023. A, B) Case-patient 1 brain T1 postcontrast images of coronal (A) and axial (B) sections showing moderately enlarged ventricles and cerebral atrophy. C, D) Case-patient 2 brain T1 postcontrast (C) and T2 postcontrast fluid attenuated inversion recovery (D) images demonstrating bilateral basal ganglia hyperintensities with no contrast enhancement.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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