Affiliations: Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California, USA | Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck
Surgery, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Calfornia, USA | Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious
Diseases, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California, USA
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. John C. Arnold, M.D., Department of
Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases (2 West), Naval Medical Center,
34800 Bob Wilson Drive, 92134, San Diego, CA, USA. Tel.: +1 619 532 7475; Fax:
+1 619 532 7478; E-mail: john.arnold@med.navy.mil
Abstract: Facial nerve paralysis in childhood is commonly caused by acute ear
infections and Lyme disease. A number of respiratory viruses have also been
associated with acute facial nerve weakness. First described as a common cause
of respiratory infection in 2001, human metapneumovirus has now also been
associated with abnormalities of the central nervous system, such as seizures
and encephalitis. We describe a case of acute facial nerve palsy in which human
metapneumovirus was the only pathogen identified, using sophisticated molecular
diagnostics.
Keywords: Human metapneumovirus, facial nerve palsy, rapid diagnostics, resequencing microarray
