Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (578 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Pathogenic infections of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges. dna virus infections; rna virus infections; bacterial infections; mycoplasma infections; spirochaetales infections; fungal infections; protozoan infections; helminthiasis; and prion diseases may involve the central nervous system as a primary or secondary process.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Central Nervous System Infection; Infections, Central Nervous System; CNS Infections; CNS Infection; Infection, CNS; Infections, CNS.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Infections; Central Nervous System Diseases
- Narrower topics
- Brain Abscess; Central Nervous System Bacterial Infections; Central Nervous System Fungal Infections; Central Nervous System Parasitic Infections; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases; Encephalomyelitis; Infectious Encephalitis; Meningoencephalitis; Myelitis; Perimeningeal Infections; Prion Diseases; Epidural Abscess
Related concepts
- Dna Virus Infections
- Rna Virus Infections
- Bacterial Infections
- Mycoplasma Infections
- Spirochaetales Infections
- Protozoan Infections
- Helminthiasis
- Prion Diseases
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 149,031 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Central Nervous System Infections” (counts retrieved 2026-10-29). 17,359 of them (11.6%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 68,830 records.
Reviews account for 15,870 records (10.6%) and meta-analyses for 461. Randomized controlled trials number 938 (0.6%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 68,830 |
| 2000-2009 | 31,138 |
| 2010-2019 | 31,704 |
| 2020 onward | 17,359 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 15,870 | 10.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 461 | 0.3% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 938 | 0.6% |
Method: PubMed query "Central Nervous System Infections"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-29.
Reading the evidence in infectious diseases
Infectious disease evidence combines microbiology, epidemiology and clinical trials. Laboratory studies identify pathogens and how they cause harm; surveillance and outbreak investigations describe who is affected and how infection spreads; trials establish whether treatments and vaccines work. Results depend on place and time, because pathogens evolve and resistance patterns and population immunity change. Check when and where the data were collected, how cases were defined and how up to date the evidence is.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not all West Nile virus lineages behave alike: dose-response differences between lineages 1 and 2 | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 42552348 · DOI · PMC13438650 |
| Japanese encephalitis: Current status, recent progress, and persistent challenges | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc0 PMID 42611910 · DOI · PMC13485019 |
| Integrative transcriptomic analysis uncovers the microRNA-centric regulation of Japanese encephalitis virus infection in porcine trophoblast cells | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42308357 · DOI · PMC13313263 |
Not all West Nile virus lineages behave alike: dose-response differences between lineages 1 and 2 [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The globally distributed arbovirus West Nile virus (WNV) is expanding across Europe, with rising numbers of human cases and an increasingly broad geographic distribution.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings highlight important differences between WNV lineages, improve our understanding of dose-dependent transmission, and therefore support refined risk assessments in Europe.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (152 words)
The globally distributed arbovirus West Nile virus (WNV) is expanding across Europe, with rising numbers of human cases and an increasingly broad geographic distribution. Transmitted primarily by Culex mosquitoes, WNV lineages 1 and 2 are pathogenic to humans, yet their differences in transmission dynamics remain unclear. As vertebrate hosts develop varying viremia, mosquitoes encounter a wide range of viral doses, which may influence transmission. Here, we investigated the dose-response differences between the lineages in Cx. pipiens biotype pipiens, Cx. torrentium, and Aedes albopictus. Mosquitoes were fed increasing titers of one strain of either WNV lineage, and infection and transmission were assessed after 14 days at 24 °C. Lineage 2 required lower infectious doses while causing higher transmission. Notably, Cx. torrentium was identified as a highly competent vector for lineage 2. These findings highlight important differences between WNV lineages, improve our understanding of dose-dependent transmission, and therefore support refined risk assessments in Europe.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42552348 · DOI · PMC13438650
Japanese encephalitis: Current status, recent progress, and persistent challenges [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Japanese encephalitis (JE), a mosquito‑borne, vaccine‑preventable disease, is endemic to much of Asia and parts of Oceania.
- Closing excerpt
- Addressing these issues and continuing efforts to strengthen JE immunization programs will be important to reducing the burden of this disease for populations in endemic areas now and in the future.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (178 words)
Japanese encephalitis (JE), a mosquito‑borne, vaccine‑preventable disease, is endemic to much of Asia and parts of Oceania. Its main clinical manifestation, encephalitis, is associated with a 20-30% case-fatality rate and long-term sequelae in 30%-50% of survivors. During the past two decades, substantial progress has been made in JE prevention and control. Notably, several countries have introduced JE vaccine into their national immunization programs, leading to marked reductions in morbidity and mortality. Nonetheless, major challenges remain, particularly because the disease cannot be eradicated meaning high-quality, long-term JE vaccination programs must be maintained. In addition, JEV has emerged in an increasingly wide geographic area, including in widespread parts of Australia, and shifts in the age distribution of cases towards adults in some JE-endemic areas have occurred. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on JE, outline recent advances in prevention and control, and describe key persisting and emerging concerns. Addressing these issues and continuing efforts to strengthen JE immunization programs will be important to reducing the burden of this disease for populations in endemic areas now and in the future.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc0 licence; © the authors. PMID 42611910 · DOI · PMC13485019
Integrative transcriptomic analysis uncovers the microRNA-centric regulation of Japanese encephalitis virus infection in porcine trophoblast cells [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic virus with pig as its major amplifying host.
- Closing excerpt
- Overall, this study comprehensively characterized the microRNA-centric regulation of JEV infection in pTr cells, which provides mechanistical insights into JEV infection in pig placenta and will facilitate the development of novel therapies against JEV infection.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (248 words)
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic virus with pig as its major amplifying host. Despite that JEV can persistently infect the placentae of pregnant sows and cause severe reproductive failures, the molecular responses and potential regulators of JEV infection in pig placenta remain unclear. Using porcine trophectoderm (pTr) cells as model, we investigated the transcriptomic changes during JEV infection, with a special focus on microRNA-centric regulation over immune genes and JEV infection. To avoid currently poor microRNA annotation for pig, we first performed small RNA-seq to achieve refined microRNA annotation, with hundreds of novel microRNAs annotated. After confirming that JEV can efficiently infect pTr cells and induce severe cytopathic effects, we conducted routine and small RNA-seq to determine the changes of mRNA and microRNA genes during JEV infection. We identified >1000 differentially expressed genes and found JEV-induced genes are tightly associated with antiviral immune responses. Moreover, we identified 94 JEV-affected microRNAs, including many with their roles on viral infection still unclear. Focusing on JEV-affected microRNAs, we constructed a microRNA-mRNA negative regulatory network, with multiple hub microRNAs and their targets inspected. Among these microRNAs, we experimentally validated that ssc-miR-149 and ssc-miR-483 both can inhibit JEV replication in pTr cells, with the well-recognized immune suppressor SOCS1 validated as a direct target of ssc-miR-149. Overall, this study comprehensively characterized the microRNA-centric regulation of JEV infection in pTr cells, which provides mechanistical insights into JEV infection in pig placenta and will facilitate the development of novel therapies against JEV infection.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42308357 · DOI · PMC13313263
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Burden of disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children younger than 5 years: global estimates [4]
- Research article New estimates of the prevalence of neurological and sensory sequelae and mortality associated with congenital cytomegalovirus infection [5]
- Research article Effect of BCG vaccination on childhood tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis worldwide: a meta-analysis and assessment of cost-effectiveness [6]
- Research article Protective effect of BCG against tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis: a meta-analysis [7]
- Research article Clinical characteristics and outcome of brain abscess: systematic review and meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Burden of disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b in children younger than 5 years: global estimates [9]
References
- Höller P, Sauer FG, Lühken R, Becker N, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Jansen S, et al.. Not all West Nile virus lineages behave alike: dose-response differences between lineages 1 and 2. . 2026. PMID 42552348 · DOI · PMC13438650
- Hills SL, Vu HM, Pitisuttithum P, Lim CK, Goodman CH, Hombach J, et al.. Japanese encephalitis: Current status, recent progress, and persistent challenges. . 2026. PMID 42611910 · DOI · PMC13485019
- Yang J, Jiang J, Gong J, Zhang L, Li C, Bao X, et al.. Integrative transcriptomic analysis uncovers the microRNA-centric regulation of Japanese encephalitis virus infection in porcine trophoblast cells. . 2026. PMID 42308357 · DOI · PMC13313263
- O'Brien KL, Wolfson LJ, Watt JP, Henkle E, Deloria-Knoll M, McCall N, et al.. Burden of disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children younger than 5 years: global estimates. Lancet. 2009. PMID 19748398 · DOI
- Dollard SC, Grosse SD, Ross DS. New estimates of the prevalence of neurological and sensory sequelae and mortality associated with congenital cytomegalovirus infection. Rev Med Virol. 2007. PMID 17542052 · DOI
- Trunz BB, Fine P, Dye C. Effect of BCG vaccination on childhood tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis worldwide: a meta-analysis and assessment of cost-effectiveness. Lancet. 2006. PMID 16616560 · DOI
- Rodrigues LC, Diwan VK, Wheeler JG. Protective effect of BCG against tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis: a meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol. 1993. PMID 8144299 · DOI
- Brouwer MC, Coutinho JM, van de Beek D. Clinical characteristics and outcome of brain abscess: systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurology. 2014. PMID 24477107 · DOI
- Watt JP, Wolfson LJ, O'Brien KL, Henkle E, Deloria-Knoll M, McCall N, et al.. Burden of disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b in children younger than 5 years: global estimates. Lancet. 2009. PMID 19748399 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-29.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.