West Nile fever / encephalitis

Pathogen


Epidemiology

  • Blood transfusion

Clinical features

  • Incubation period 2-15 days

  • Most are self-limiting

  • Fever, headache

  • Dengue-like: Muscle pain, rash, lymphadenopathy

  • Sometimes: encephalitis... , parkinsons syndr, polio-like illness

  • Rarely, pancreatitis, hepatitis

Diagnosis

  • Clinical signs...

  • Virus isolation: CSF sample, brain

  • Nucleic acid: RT-PCR (but viraemia finished when encephalitis started)

  • Antibody (HI, IFA, CF, ELISA): IgM in serum or CSF

Treatment

  • No specific treatment, supportive

Prevention


History

  • Outbreaks in the USA in 2002 and 2003