Large Outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Peru, 2019

Five centuries of genome evolution and multi-host adaptation of Campylobacter jejuni in Brazil

Consumption of raw, undercooked or contaminated animal food products is a frequent cause of Campylobacter jejuni infection. Brazil is the world's third largest producer and a major exporter of chicken meat, yet population-level genomic investigations of C. jejuni in the country remain scarce. Analysis of 221 C. jejuni genomes from Brazil shows that the overall core and accessory genomic features of C. jejuni are influenced by the identity of the human or animal source. Of the 60 sequence types detected, ST353 is the most prevalent and consists of samples from chicken and human sources. Notably, we identified the presence of diverse bla genes from the OXA-61 and OXA-184 families that confer beta-lactam resistance as well as the operon cmeABCR related to multidrug efflux pump, which contributes to resistance against tetracyclines, macrolides and quinolones. Based on limited data, we estimated the most recent common ancestor of ST353 to the late 1500s, coinciding with the time the Portuguese first arrived in Brazil and introduced domesticated chickens into the country. We identified at least two instances of ancestral chicken-to-human infections in ST353. The evolution of C. jejuni in Brazil was driven by the confluence of clinically relevant genetic elements, multi-host adaptation and clonal population growth that coincided with major socio-economic changes in poultry farming.

A Case of Pediatric Guillain-Barré Syndrome After Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

We report a two-year-old girl whose progressive lower extremity weakness was masked by a respiratory presentation, only to be identified as having Guillain-Barré syndrome in the context of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. This case adds to the expanding literature of postinfectious demyelinating disorders in very young children, which seem to be unrelated to particular antigenic triggers.

Clinical features of Guillain-Barré syndrome and factors associated with mortality during the 2019 outbreak in Peru

INTRODUCTION

Peru has suffered an increase of Guillain Barre Syndrome incidence since 2015, being the biggest outbreak during 2019. We aimed to describe the clinical features, outcomes, and factors associated with mortality among cases reported in the 2019 outbreak.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Surveillance of Guillain Barre Syndrome of the National Center for Control Disease and Prevention of Peru. We included all cases that met the Brighton criteria, level 1 to level 3. We used multivariable logistic regression to determinate factors associated with mortality.

RESULTS

Overall, 772 cases were analyzed (58.7% male; mean age, 41.7 ± 20.3). 86.0% of cases aged over 30 years. 71.4% had a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection in the last 4 weeks. Case fatality rate was 4.3% and 32.2% of survivors reported sequelae. Axonal subtypes were identified in 75.6% of cases with an available nerve conduction study (38.7%). Age and impaired function of cranial nerves were independently associated with mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The 2019 outbreak of Guillain Barre syndrome in Peru was an unprecedented event that affected several regions of the country. Axonal damage was more frequent than demyelinating involvement, which is compatible with findings pointing to Campylobacter jejuni as the triggering agent. The case fatality rate was similar to that reported previously in Peru and other countries, but the high frequency of sequelae is striking.

Emergence and Molecular Epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni ST-2993 Associated with a Large Outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in Peru

Campylobacter jejuni infection is considered the most frequent factor associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). In 2019, a large outbreak of GBS was detected in Peru, being associated with C. jejuni detected in stool samples from these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the molecular epidemiology of C. jejuni strains (ST-2993) associated with a large GBS outbreak in Peru. In this study, 26 C. jejuni strains belonging to the ST-2293, obtained from 2019 to 2020, were sequenced using Illumina technology. Five low-quality sequences were removed using bioinformatics, and 21 genomes (17 clinical strains and 4 chicken strains) were considered in the phylogenetic analysis and comparative genomics. Phylogenetic reconstruction, including genomes from international databases, showed a connection between Peruvian and Chinese GBS strains, both of them having lipooligosaccharides (LOS) locus genes related to molecular mimicry with gangliosides in peripheral nerves. Also, ST-2993 was detected in Amazon strains recovered many years before the 2019 outbreak, but with no epidemiological connection with GBS. Besides, a close relationship between human and chicken C. jejuni strains indicated chicken as one of the probable reservoirs. Finally, comparative genomics revealed differences between Chinese and Peruvian strains, including the presence of a prophage inserted into the genome. In conclusion, C. jejuni ST-2993 strains recovered from the GBS outbreak are closely related to Peruvian Amazon strains. Moreover, ST-2993 has been circulated in Peru since 2003 in the Peruvian Amazonia, showing the necessity to reinforce the epidemiological surveillance of C. jejuni to improve the prevention and control of future GBS outbreaks. IMPORTANCE This article describes the molecular epidemiology of C. jejuni strains (ST-2993) associated with a large Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak in Peru, sequencing several strains recovered from GBS patients and chickens from 2019 to 2020. Phylogenetic analysis showed a connection between Peruvian and Chinese GBS strains, both of them having lipooligosaccharides (LOS) locus genes related to molecular mimicry with gangliosides in peripheral nerves. Also, ST-2993 strains were detected in isolates recovered many years before the 2019 outbreak, but with no epidemiological connection with GBS. Besides, a close relationship between human and chicken strains indicated those animals as a probable reservoir. This information will help to understand the real situation of GBS in Peru and its causal agent, C. jejuni ST-2993, showing the necessity to increase epidemiological tracking of these kinds of pathogens to detect them and avoid GBS outbreaks in the future.

To be, or not to be… Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is currently the most frequent cause of acute flaccid paralysis on a global scale, being an autoimmune disorder wherein demyelination of the peripheral nerves occurs. Its main clinical features are a symmetrical ascending muscle weakness with reduced osteotendinous reflexes and variable sensory involvement. GBS most commonly occurs after an infection, especially viral (including COVID-19), but may also transpire after immunization with certain vaccines or in the development of specific malignancies. Immunoglobulins, plasmapheresis, and glucocorticoids represent the principal treatment modalities, however patients with severe disease progression may require supportive therapy in an intensive care unit. Due to its symptomology, which overlaps with numerous neurological and infectious illnesses, the diagnosis of GBS may often be misattributed to pathologies that are essentially different from this syndrome. Moreover, many of these require specific treatment methods distinct to those recommended for GBS, in lack of which the prognosis of the patient is drastically affected. Such diseases include exposure to toxins either environmental or foodborne, central nervous system infections, metabolic or serum ion alterations, demyelinating pathologies, or even conditions amenable to neurosurgical intervention. This extensive narrative review aims to systematically and comprehensively tackle the most notable and challenging differential diagnoses of GBS, emphasizing on the clinical discrepancies between the diseases, the appropriate paraclinical investigations, and suitable management indications.