Natural and Nosocomial Infection in a Patient with West Nile Encephalitis and Extrapyramidal Movement Disorders

Since its first recognition in North America in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) has spread rapidly across the continent, but in many communities, rapid diagnostic tests for detection of WNV infection are not fully available. We describe a patient with extrapyramidal movement disorders and changes in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical infectious diseases 2003-06, Vol.36 (11), p.e140-e145
Main Authors: Solomon, Tom, Fisher, Ann F., Beasley, David W. C., Mandava, Pitchaiah, Granwehr, Bruno P., Langsjoen, Hans, Da Rosa, Amelia P. Travassos, Barrett, Alan D. T., Tesh, Robert B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Basal Ganglia Diseases - complications
Cross Infection - transmission
Cross Infection - virology
Culicidae
Disease Vectors
Encephalitis - etiology
Encephalitis - virology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Movement Disorders - complications
West Nile Fever - complications
West Nile Fever - transmission
West Nile virus - classification
West Nile virus - genetics
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Summary:Since its first recognition in North America in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) has spread rapidly across the continent, but in many communities, rapid diagnostic tests for detection of WNV infection are not fully available. We describe a patient with extrapyramidal movement disorders and changes in the basal ganglia noted on magnetic resonance images that are characteristic of other flavivirus encephalitides and may help in the recognition of patients with West Nile encephalitis. Detailed molecular analysis suggested that, although our patient received a blood transfusion infected with WNV, the virus that caused his initial infection and encephalitis was probably acquired naturally from a mosquito.
ISSN:1058-4838
1537-6591
DOI:10.1086/374936