Neurological Performance and Clinical Outcomes Related to Patients With Oropouche-Associated Guillain–Barré Syndrome

Abstract

Background and Aims

A recent study reported that Oropouche virus (OROV) infection may play a role in the etiology of Guillain–Barré syndrome. We aimed to identify the neurological performance, disease-modifying therapies, and clinical outcomes related to patients with Oropouche-associated Guillain–Barré syndrome admitted to the critical care unit.

Methods

This was an analysis of 210 patients diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome and suspicion of Oropouche viral infection admitted to the critical care units from June 2024 to September 2024 using the national administrative healthcare data. OROV was identified by reverse-transcriptase–polymerase-chain-reaction. Patients with Guillain–Barré syndrome and Oropouche infection were compared with those without Oropouche infection in terms of demography features, neurological performance, disease-modifying therapies, and clinical outcomes.

Results

Most patients had a severe disease. Mechanical ventilation was required in 28.6%. Overall mortality rate was 14.3%. The median time from onset of weakness to intensive care unit discharge, and the median time from hospital admission to intensive care unit discharge was 18 days (IQR: 13–24.3 days) and 13 days (IQR: 9–19 days), respectively. Oropouche viral infection was detected in 43 (20.5%) patients. There were no differences among patients with and without Oropouche viral infection regarding general characteristics, neurological performance, disease-modifying therapies, and outcomes. After adjusting for confounders in multivariate logistic regression analysis, Oropouche viral infection (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 0.72–5.20; p = 0.189) was not related to increased mortality.

Interpretation

Oropouche viral infection does not modify the clinical course, disease severity, and outcomes of patients with Guillain–Barré syndrome.