AUTHOR=Liu Jing , Tao Jinhao , Chen Weiming , Wang Tingting , Chen Xin , Shen Meili , Ou Qiuxiang , Zhang Yunjian , Ding Yifeng , Wu Jufang , Cheng Xunjia , Lu Guoping , Yan Gangfeng 

TITLE=The application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for Angiostrongylus eosinophilic meningitis in a pediatric patient: A case report

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1003013

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.1003013

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p><italic>Angiostrongylus</italic> eosinophilic meningitis (AEM) is a rare yet emerging disease caused by <italic>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</italic> infection. Its atypical symptoms may delay the diagnosis and cause fatal outcomes, especially in the early stages of infection and among children.</p></sec><sec><title>Case presentation</title><p>Here we reported the use of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of an 8-year-old boy with severe <italic>A. cantonensis</italic> infection. The mNGS tests consistently identified the infection of <italic>A. cantonensis</italic> prior to the detection by the immunologic method and confirmed it as AEM. Owing to the multidisciplinary team (MDT)-administrated treatments and close disease monitoring based on regular clinical tests and sequential mNGS tests, the patients eventually fully recovered from severe infectious conditions.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>This case demonstrated the advantages of mNGS for early diagnosis of AEM in pediatric patients, highlighting its application for pan-pathogen detection, as well as disease monitoring for severe <italic>A. cantonensis</italic> infection.</p></sec>