Cerebrospinal fluid metagenomics has greatest added value as a test for Powassan virus among patients in New England with suspected central nervous system infection

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS) can detect diverse pathogens in patients with central nervous system infection. Due to its high cost and unclear clinical utility, it is typically reserved for patients with unrevealing routine workups. A multi-center retrospective analysis of real-world CSF mNGS was performed involving orders between 2017 and 2022 at a large New England healthcare system. CSF mNGS was performed 64 times with 17 positive results (27 %). In 11/17 positive samples (65 %), the infectious agent had not been previously detected using routine methods. Arboviruses (n = 8) were the most frequently detected agents, particularly Powassan virus (n = 6). Results changed therapy in 3/64 cases (5 %). Positive results were associated with immunodeficiency (p = 0.06), especially anti-B-cell therapy (p = 0.02), and earlier sample collection (p = 0.06). The association with compromised humoral immunity was stronger in the arbovirus and Powassan virus subgroups (p = 0.001), whose constituents were older than the overall cohort and had higher mortality rates.