{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T04:31:03Z","timestamp":1786681863553,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]],"date-time":"2026-08-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786492800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003196","name":"Italian Ministry of Health","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003196","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The mitigation measures adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have not only impacted the transmission of respiratory infections but also other infectious diseases. In this study, we explored the effect of the pandemic on the epidemiology of Central Nervous System (CNS) infections by conducting a retrospective analysis of diagnostic data obtained from cerebrospinal fluids (CSFs) collected before, during, and after the pandemic from patients with acute-suspected neuro-infectious syndrome. The samples were analyzed using a meningitis\/encephalitis molecular syndromic panel. A total of 4203 CSFs were split into three groups: pre-pandemic (August 2018\u2013February 2020), pandemic (March 2020\u2013March 2022) and post-pandemic (April 2022\u2013March 2024). Each pathogen was statistically assessed individually, comparing one group vs. another. Results showed that viral pathogens were the most frequently detected across all groups; however, Streptococcus pneumoniae was the single most identified pathogen. Comparison of the pre-pandemic and pandemic groups by statistical analysis showed a significant reduction in neuro-infections caused by enterovirus, S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis, while the other pathogens were not affected. In conclusion, a reduction in CNS infections caused by respiratory and close-contact-transmitted pathogens, including both viral and bacterial agents, was observed during the period when COVID-19 containment measures were in effect.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18080883","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]],"date-time":"2026-08-12T09:11:36Z","timestamp":1786525896000},"page":"883","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Neuroinfectious Etiology in the Lazio Region: Evidence from Laboratory-Based Surveillance Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5162-046X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martina","family":"Rueca","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Virology and Laboratories of Biosecurity, National Institute for Infectious Diseases \u2018Lazzaro Spallanzani\u2019\u2014IRCCS, 00149 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-3723-0127","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Leone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostic, National Institute for Infectious Diseases \u2018Lazzaro Spallanzani\u2019\u2014IRCCS, 00149 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5022-5388","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Beatrice","family":"Valli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Virology and Laboratories of Biosecurity, National Institute for Infectious Diseases \u2018Lazzaro Spallanzani\u2019\u2014IRCCS, 00149 Rome, 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Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7063-0222","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandra","family":"Amendola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Virology and Laboratories of Biosecurity, National Institute for Infectious Diseases \u2018Lazzaro Spallanzani\u2019\u2014IRCCS, 00149 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2975-8611","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lavinia","family":"Fabeni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Virology and Laboratories of Biosecurity, National Institute for Infectious Diseases \u2018Lazzaro Spallanzani\u2019\u2014IRCCS, 00149 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Letizia","family":"Giancola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Department, National Institute for Infectious Diseases \u2018Lazzaro 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