Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-like Syndrome after Chikungunya

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-like syndrome refers to a group of conditions whose outcome is similar to that of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but with different characteristics in the initial phase and response to therapy. The involvement of an earlier age group, the subacute course, and the stabilization or improvement of the clinical condition during the treatment are most important. There is still no evidence of an association between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like syndrome and chikungunya (CHK) infection in the literature. This report was intended to review this syndrome and present a case that occurred after the epidemic of CHK in Pernambuco in 2016. CHK is a fast-onset febrile illness characterized by intense asthenia, arthralgia, myalgia, headache, and skin rash. Reports range from encephalitis, optic neuritis, myeloradiculitis to Guillain-Barré syndrome, generating drastic sequelae such as mental deficiency, blindness, and persistent paralysis. This is the first case report of a possible association of ALS-like syndrome and chikungunya infection. CHK infection may cause ALS-like syndrome. There is a need for further research in this field to develop therapies for neurological complications such as that of CHK.