Abstract Details

Title Acute Neurological Inflammatory Diseases in Colombia: A Multi-center Observational Study from Zika outbreak to SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Topic Autoimmune Neurology

Presentation(s) S3 - Autoimmune Neurology 1: Mechanisms of Disease, Clinical Practice (1:12 PM-1:24 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 002

Background The outbreak of Zika virus infection in Colombia in 2015-2016, produced an increased incidence of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) and other ANID cases. The Neuroviruses Emerging in the Americas Study (NEAS) network was established in 2016 as a multicenter-based observatory of ANIDs to investigate the role of emerging pathogens in neuroinflammatory diseases.

Objective To evaluate clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological features of acute neuroinflammatory disorders (ANIDs) that followed the 2016 Zika epidemic in Colombia.

Design/Methods NEAS serves as a multi-center study based on 13 hospitals in 7 cities in Colombia which study all newly diagnosed patients who fulfill established criteria for GBS, encephalitis, myelitis, meningoencephalitis, or cranial nerve disorders as part of an observational cohort. We analyzed the clinical and epidemiological features of all cases evaluated between January 2016 and September 2021.

Results An observational cohort of 825 patients with ANIDs were recruited during the study period. 58.8% of cases were male with a median age of 43 (IQR 25-58) years. The most frequent ANIDs were GBS (46.1%) and facial nerve palsy (28.7%). The diagnosis of encephalitis (9.5%), myelitis (6.5%), and optic neuritis (5.9%) were less frequent. Patients with GBS were predominantly male (70.6%) and had a median age of 49 (IQR 32-60) years. Interestingly, there was an increase incidence of GBS in 2019.

Conclusions The outbreak of Zika in Colombia produced a marked increase in the incidence of GBS in 2016. Although cases of GBS and other ANIDs continued to emerge after the incidence of Zika infection decreased in July 2016, the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has not produced any significant increase in the incidence of GBS in Colombia.

Authors/Disclosures
Susana Dominguez Penuela, MD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) PRESENTER	Dr. Dominguez Penuela has nothing to disclose.
Martha Moyano	No disclosure on file
Jose Enrique Vargas Manotas, MD, MSc (Private Office)	Dr. Vargas Manotas has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
Guillermo Gonzalez-Manrique	No disclosure on file
Jairo Francisco Lizarazo Nino, MD (Tecnofarma)	No disclosure on file
Jorge Angarita, MD	Dr. Angarita has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
Reydmar Lopez	No disclosure on file
Daniela Zuluaga Lotero	No disclosure on file
David Acero-Garces, MD (Johns Hopkins University)	The institution of Dr. Acero-Garces has received research support from Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Colombia.
Maria A. Garcia-Dominguez, MD (UMass Memorial Medical Center)	Dr. Garcia-Dominguez has nothing to disclose.
Jose Enciso	No disclosure on file
Maria Fernanda Ramos Sanchez	No disclosure on file
Julie Benavides	No disclosure on file
Katherine Claros	No disclosure on file
Jaime Quintero	No disclosure on file
Jonathan Urrego	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Gustavo E. Ramos, MD (Universidad Libre De Cali, Universidad Del Valle, Clinica Dime)	Dr. Ramos has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Angela Catalina Vallejo Cajigas, MD (angela catalina vallejo cajigas)	Dr. Vallejo Cajigas has nothing to disclose.
Viviana Martinez	No disclosure on file
Beatriz Parra	No disclosure on file
Lyda Osorio	No disclosure on file
Carlos A. Pardo-Villamizar, MD (Johns Hopkins U, Med Dept of Neurology)	The institution of Dr. Pardo-Villamizar has received research support from National Institutes of Health. The institution of Dr. Pardo-Villamizar has received research support from Bart McLean Fund for Neuroimmunology Research .