Viral Causes of Hearing Loss: A Review for Hearing Health Professionals

Abstract

A number of viral infections can cause hearing loss. Hearing loss induced by these viruses can be congenital or acquired, unilateral or bilateral. Certain viral infections can directly damage inner ear structures, others can induce inflammatory responses which then cause this damage, and still others can increase susceptibility or bacterial or fungal infection, leading to hearing loss. Typically, virus-induced hearing loss is sensorineural, although conductive and mixed hearing losses can be seen following infection with certain viruses. Occasionally, recovery of hearing after these infections can occur spontaneously. Most importantly, some of these viral infections can be prevented or treated. For many of these viruses, guidelines for their treatment or prevention have recently been revised. In this review, we outline many of the viruses that cause hearing loss, their epidemiology, course, prevention, and treatment.

Hearing Loss in Infants with Microcephaly and Evidence of Congenital Zika Virus Infection — Brazil, November 2015–May 2016

“…If the one infant with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss who had been treated with amikacin (a known ototoxic antibiotic) before the hearing testing is excluded, the proportion of infants with sensorineural hearing loss was 5.8% (four of 69). This proportion, although lower than the 9% reported from a small sample of newborns with microcephaly associated with presumed Zika-virus infection tested by otoacoustic emissions (4), is within the range (6%-65%) reported for other congenital viral infections (6,7). In the majority of cases of hearing loss associated with congenital viral infection, the damage to the auditory system is within the cochlea (7).…”

“…The hearing loss varied in severity and laterality, which has been reported in hearing loss associated with other congenital infections (6,7). If the one infant with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss who had been treated with amikacin (a known ototoxic antibiotic) before the hearing testing is excluded, the proportion of infants with sensorineural hearing loss was 5.8% (four of 69).…”

Animal Model of Sensorineural Hearing Loss Associated with Lassa Virus Infection

“…Virus-induced hearing loss can be the result of a congenital and/or acquired infection and can be uni-or bilateral (6). Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), the prototypic arenavirus, has been associated with congenital hearing loss (7,8), while viruses such as herpesvirus, HIV, measles, and mumps have been associated with hearing loss after acquired infection.…”

“…Newborn rats infected intracerebrally had higher elicitation and inhibition thresholds than control animals (12). However, the mechanisms of hearing loss associated with viral infections still remain largely elusive (6,8,(12)(13)(14)(15).…”

Diagnóstico etiológico de la sordera infantil: Recomendaciones CODEPEH 2015

“…• Otros gérmenes: conviene recordar que el virus de la parotiditis, el virus del Nilo y muchos otros gérmenes pueden ser causantes de sordera en niños (Cohen et al, 2014).…”