biostudies-literaturePattabiraman CDBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliancee0225121https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9045363biostudies-literatureUnknown10(2)Brain infections are a major public health problem in India and other parts of the world, causing both mortality and lifelong disability. Even after a thorough investigation, many cases remain without an etiological diagnosis. Primate erythroparvovirus 1 (B19V) has been identified as a pathogen associated with undiagnosed meningoencephalitis in other settings, including the United Kingdom, France, and Latvia. Here, we reported 13/403 (3.2%) B19V PCR positive cases of meningoencephalitis in West Bengal, India. The positive samples were mostly from children (10/13, 76.92%) and presented as a spectrum consisting of acute encephalitis (7/13), acute meningoencephalitis (3/13), and meningitis (3/13). Of the 13 cases, 8/13 (61.5%) had no known etiology and 5/13 (38.5%) had a previous etiological Microbiology spectrumIdentification and Genomic Characterization of Parvovirus B19V Genotype 3 Viruses from Cases of Meningoencephalitis in West Bengal, India.PMC9045363IA/E/15/1/502336Ghosh ARasheed RSreenivas DSudarshan SPattabiraman CDesai APal AVasanthapuram RPrasad PGeorge AKHameed SKSBandyopadhyay BfalseIdentification and Genomic Characterization of Parvovirus B19V Genotype 3 Viruses from Cases of Meningoencephalitis in West Bengal, India.Brain infections are a major public health problem in India and other parts of the world, causing both mortality and lifelong disability. Even after a thorough investigation, many cases remain without an etiological diagnosis. Primate erythroparvovirus 1 (B19V) has been identified as a pathogen associated with undiagnosed meningoencephalitis in other settings, including the United Kingdom, France, and Latvia. Here, we reported 13/403 (3.2%) B19V PCR positive cases of meningoencephalitis in West Bengal, India. The positive samples were mostly from children (10/13, 76.92%) and presented as a spectrum consisting of acute encephalitis (7/13), acute meningoencephalitis (3/13), and meningitis (3/13). Of the 13 cases, 8/13 (61.5%) had no known etiology and 5/13 (38.5%) had a previous etiological 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Apr2026-05-09T23:41:04.761Z2025-04-04T19:32:32.846ZS-EPMC90453633541238610.1128/spectrum.02251-21