Case report: Varicella zoster virus encephalitis following COVID-19 vaccination in an immunocompetent individual
Sanaz Rezaeian,
Fatemeh Rahmanian,
Zohre Rajabpour,
Ali Taghipour,
Mirza Ali Mofazzal Jahromi,
Abdolvahab Rahmanian,
Heshmatollah Shakeri,
Navid Kalani,
Maryam Jalali Jahromi,
Amir Abdoli
Affiliations
Sanaz Rezaeian
Student Research Committee, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran; Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
Fatemeh Rahmanian
Student Research Committee, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran; Department of Internal Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
Zohre Rajabpour
Student Research Committee, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
Ali Taghipour
Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
Mirza Ali Mofazzal Jahromi
Department of Immunology, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran; Department of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
Abdolvahab Rahmanian
Department of Internal Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
Heshmatollah Shakeri
Department of Infectious Disease, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
Navid Kalani
Research Center for Social Determinants of Health, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
Maryam Jalali Jahromi
Department of Neurology, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran; Corresponding author. Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, POBox 74148-46199, Ostad Motahari Ave, Jahrom, Iran.
Amir Abdoli
Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran; Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran; Corresponding author. Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, POBox 74148-46199, Ostad Motahari Ave, Jahrom, Iran.
The varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a latent viral infection and its reactivation has been reported following different conditions such as immunosuppression. This study presents a confirmed case of VZV encephalitis following the first dose administration of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. A 63-year-old immunocompetent woman who developed VZV encephalitis after first dose administration of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. A final diagnosis of VZV encephalitis was made based on positive CSF PCR results for VZV infection. Treatment was administered with acyclovir and she returned to normal life without any neurological sequelae. In this report, VZV reactivation and VZV encephalitis have been observed after COVID-19 vaccination; however, the results of this report should be considered with some caution, and continued post-vaccine surveillance of adverse events is recommended to explore whether any causal association with VZV reactivation is biologically plausible in this context, or if it is just a coincidence.
