ABSTRACT
Neurotropic virus infection is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This chapter reviews the most common viruses that infect the nervous system. It begins with the human herpesvirus family, not only because they are a common cause of serious disease involving the central and peripheral nervous systems, but also because some of the herpesviruses respond to antiviral treatment. The second section discusses the neurological complications of HIV, the most common viral cause of neurological disease worldwide. HTLV-1 myelopathy is discussed in the same section. Finally, the last section reviews the neurological complications produced by a wide spectrum of enteroviruses, myxoviruses, arthropod-borne viruses, adenoviruses, arenaviruses, papovaviruses, parvoviruses, filoviruses, rhabdoviruses and paramyxoviruses.
