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Schvartz G, Farnoushi Y, Berkowitz A, Edery N, Hahn S, Steinman A, Lublin A, Erster O. Molecular characterization of the re-emerging West Nile virus in avian species and equids in Israel, 2018, and pathological description of the disease. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:528. [PMID: 33092614 PMCID: PMC7579921 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04399-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this report we describe the molecular and pathological characteristics of West Nile virus (WNV) infection that occurred during the summer and fall of 2018 in avian species and equines. WNV is reported in Israel since the 1950s, with occasional outbreaks leading to significant morbidity and mortality in birds, high infection in horses and humans, and sporadic fatalities in humans. METHODS Animal and avian carcasses in a suitable condition were examined by post-mortem analysis. Tissue samples were examined for WNV by RT-qPCR and the viral load was quantified. Samples with sufficient material quality were further analyzed by Endpoint PCR and sequencing, which was used for phylogenetic analysis. Tissue samples from positive animals were used for culturing the virus in Vero and C6/36 cells. RESULTS WNV RNA was detected in one yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), two long-eared owls (Asio otus), two domesticated geese (Anser anser), one pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), four hooded crows (Corvus cornix), three horses and one donkey. Pathological and histopathological findings were characteristic of viral infection. Molecular analysis and viral load quantification showed varying degrees of infection, ranging between 70-1.4 × 106 target copies per sample. Phylogenetic analysis of a 906-bp genomic segment showed that all samples belonged to Lineage 1 clade 1a, with the following partition: five samples from 2018 and one sample detected in 2016 were of Cluster 2 Eastern European, two of Cluster 2 Mediterranean and four of Cluster 4. Four of the positive samples was successfully propagated in C6/36 and Vero cell lines for further work. CONCLUSIONS WNV is constantly circulating in wild and domesticated birds and animals in Israel, necessitating constant surveillance in birds and equines. At least three WNV strains were circulating in the suspected birds and animals examined. Quantitative analysis showed that the viral load varies significantly between different organs and tissues of the infected animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gili Schvartz
- Division of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yigal Farnoushi
- Division of Avian diseases, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Asaf Berkowitz
- Division of Avian diseases, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Nir Edery
- Division of Pathology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Shelly Hahn
- Division of Pathology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Amir Steinman
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Avishai Lublin
- Division of Avian diseases, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Oran Erster
- Division of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
- Present Address: Central Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Lustig Y, Gosinov R, Zuckerman N, Glazer Y, Orshan L, Sofer D, Schwartz E, Schvartz G, Farnoushi Y, Lublin A, Erster O, Shalom U, Yeger T, Mor O, Anis E, Mendelson E. Epidemiologic and phylogenetic analysis of the 2018 West Nile virus (WNV) outbreak in Israel demonstrates human infection of WNV lineage I. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 24. [PMID: 30621816 PMCID: PMC6325669 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2019.24.1.1800662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
As at 12 November 2018, an outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) was responsible for 139 WNV infection cases in Israel. Here, we characterise the epidemiology of the outbreak and demonstrate that only WNV lineage I was circulating in mosquitoes and responsible for WNV infection in humans. This suggests that the concurrence of the outbreak in Israel with WNV outbreaks in several European countries is not due to a common, more virulent WNV genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaniv Lustig
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Ruslan Gosinov
- Division of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Neta Zuckerman
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Yael Glazer
- Division of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Laor Orshan
- Laboratory of Entomology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Danit Sofer
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Eli Schwartz
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Institute of Tropical and Travel Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Oran Erster
- Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel
| | - Uri Shalom
- Ministry of Environmental Protection, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tamar Yeger
- Ministry of Environmental Protection, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Orna Mor
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Emilia Anis
- Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University and Hadassah, Israel.,Division of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ella Mendelson
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
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3
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Martin MF, Nisole S. West Nile Virus Restriction in Mosquito and Human Cells: A Virus under Confinement. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E256. [PMID: 32485916 PMCID: PMC7350012 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging neurotropic flavivirus that naturally circulates between mosquitoes and birds. However, WNV has a broad host range and can be transmitted from mosquitoes to several mammalian species, including humans, through infected saliva during a blood meal. Although WNV infections are mostly asymptomatic, 20% to 30% of cases are symptomatic and can occasionally lead to severe symptoms, including fatal meningitis or encephalitis. Over the past decades, WNV-carrying mosquitoes have become increasingly widespread across new regions, including North America and Europe, which constitutes a public health concern. Nevertheless, mosquito and human innate immune defenses can detect WNV infection and induce the expression of antiviral effectors, so-called viral restriction factors, to control viral propagation. Conversely, WNV has developed countermeasures to escape these host defenses, thus establishing a constant arms race between the virus and its hosts. Our review intends to cover most of the current knowledge on viral restriction factors as well as WNV evasion strategies in mosquito and human cells in order to bring an updated overview on WNV-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sébastien Nisole
- Viral Trafficking, Restriction and Innate Signaling Team, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), CNRS, 34090 Montpellier, France;
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Strand TM, Lundkvist Å, Olsen B, Gustafsson L. Breeding consequences of flavivirus infection in the collared flycatcher. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:13. [PMID: 29402209 PMCID: PMC5800009 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1121-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The breeding consequences of virus infections have rarely been studied in avian natural breeding populations. In this paper we investigated the links between humoral immunity following a natural flavivirus infection and reproduction in a wild bird population of collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). We analyzed plasma from 744 birds for antibodies and correlated these results to a number of reproductive components. Results Nearly one third (27.8%) of the sampled collared flycatchers were found seropositive for flavivirus. Males had significantly more frequently flavivirus antibodies (32.3%) than females (25.1%). Seropositive females differed significantly from seronegative females in four traits: they had earlier lay date, higher body weight, higher survival rate and were older than seronegative females. The females did not differ in clutch size, number of fledged young or number of recruited young. Seropositive males had female partners with earlier lay date, i.e. the males bred earlier and they also produced more fledged young than seronegative males. In contrast, the males did not differ in clutch size, number of recruited young, male weight, age or survival. Interestingly, seropositive males had larger ornament, forehead badge size, than seronegative males. Conclusions Collared flycatchers with an antibody response against flavivirus were more successful than birds with no antibody response, for any of the measured life history traits. The positive link between flavivirus antibody presence and life-history trait levels suggest that it is condition dependent in the collared flycatcher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja M Strand
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Present Address: National Veterinary Institute (SVA), SE-75189, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Åke Lundkvist
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Björn Olsen
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Animal Ecology/ Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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5
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Panchaud A, Stojanov M, Ammerdorffer A, Vouga M, Baud D. Emerging Role of Zika Virus in Adverse Fetal and Neonatal Outcomes. Clin Microbiol Rev 2016; 29:659-94. [PMID: 27281741 PMCID: PMC4978612 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00014-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid spread of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas and its potential association with thousands of suspected cases of microcephaly in Brazil and higher rates of Guillain-Barré syndrome meet the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, as stated by the World Health Organization in February 2016. Two months later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the current available evidence supports the existence of a causal relationship between prenatal Zika virus infection and microcephaly and other serious brain anomalies. Microcephaly can be caused by several factors, and its clinical course and prognosis are difficult to predict. Other pathogens with proven teratogenicity have been identified long before the current ZIKV epidemic. Despite the growing number of cases with maternal signs of infection and/or presence of ZIKV in tissues of affected newborns or fetuses, it is currently difficult to assess the magnitude of increase of microcephaly prevalence in Brazil, as well as the role of other factors in the development of congenital neurological conditions. Meanwhile, health agencies and medical organizations have issued cautious guidelines advising health care practitioners and expectant couples traveling to, returning from, or living in affected areas. Analogous to dengue virus (DENV) epidemics, ZIKV has the potential to become endemic in all countries infested by Aedes mosquitoes, while new mutations could impact viral replication in humans, leading to increased virulence and consequently heightened chances of viral transmission to additional naive mosquito vectors. Studies are urgently needed to answer the questions surrounding ZIKV and its role in congenital neurological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Panchaud
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva and University of Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Swiss Teratogen Information Service and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Miloš Stojanov
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland Materno-fetal and Obstetrics Research Unit, Department Femme-Mère-Enfant, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne Ammerdorffer
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland Materno-fetal and Obstetrics Research Unit, Department Femme-Mère-Enfant, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Manon Vouga
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland Materno-fetal and Obstetrics Research Unit, Department Femme-Mère-Enfant, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Baud
- Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland Materno-fetal and Obstetrics Research Unit, Department Femme-Mère-Enfant, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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6
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The global ecology and epidemiology of West Nile virus. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:376230. [PMID: 25866777 PMCID: PMC4383390 DOI: 10.1155/2015/376230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 307] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 08/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Since its initial isolation in Uganda in 1937 through the present, West Nile virus (WNV) has become an important cause of human and animal disease worldwide. WNV, an enveloped virus of the genus Flavivirus, is naturally maintained in an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes, with occasional epizootic spillover causing disease in humans and horses. The mosquito vectors for WNV are widely distributed worldwide, and the known geographic range of WNV transmission and disease has continued to increase over the past 77 years. While most human infections with WNV are asymptomatic, severe neurological disease may develop resulting in long-term sequelae or death. Surveillance and preventive measures are an ongoing need to reduce the public health impact of WNV in areas with the potential for transmission.
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Riabi S, Gaaloul I, Mastouri M, Hassine M, Aouni M. An outbreak of West Nile Virus infection in the region of Monastir, Tunisia, 2003. Pathog Glob Health 2014; 108:148-57. [PMID: 24766339 DOI: 10.1179/2047773214y.0000000137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A West Nile (WN) fever epidemic occurred in the region of Monastir, Tunisia, between August and October 2003. AIM OF THE STUDY We attempt to describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcome of patients with confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) infection. METHODS Three groups of specimens were prepared. One was made up of serum only (n = 43), the other of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) only (n = 30), and the third group was made up of both (n = 40). These specimens were obtained from 113 patients. A serological diagnosis and evidence of WNV genome by nested reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (nRT-PCR) and TaqMan reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were carried out. RESULTS Thirty-eight cases (33.6%) were serologically positive. Results of nRT-PCR showed a total of 10 positive cases of WNV (8.8%) detected in group 1 (n = 1/43), group 2 (n = 5/30), and group 3 (n = 4/40) whereas the PCR TaqMan showed 18 positive samples (15.9%) found in group 1 (n = 3/43), group 2 (n = 9/30), and group 3 (n = 6/40). All TaqMan PCR positive cases were nRT-PCR positive. In addition, four serologically probable cases were confirmed by TaqMan PCR. The attempts to isolate WNV by cell culture were unsuccessful. Considering the results of TaqMan assay and the serological diagnosis, WNV infection was confirmed in a total of 42 patients. The main clinical presentations were meningoencephalitis (40%), febrile disease (95%), and meningitis (36%). Eight patients (19%) died. The highest case-fatality rates occurred among patients aged ≧55 years. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that isolates of WNV were closely related to the Tunisian strain 1997 (PAH001) and the Israeli one (Is-98). CONCLUSIONS West Nile virus is a reemerging global pathogen that remains an important public health challenge in the next decade.
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8
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Sotelo E, Fernández-Pinero J, Llorente F, Vázquez A, Moreno A, Agüero M, Cordioli P, Tenorio A, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ. Phylogenetic relationships of Western Mediterranean West Nile virus strains (1996–2010) using full-length genome sequences: single or multiple introductions? J Gen Virol 2011; 92:2512-2522. [DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.033829-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, West Nile virus (WNV) has re-emerged in the Western Mediterranean region. As a result, the number of complete WNV genome sequences available from this region has increased, allowing more detailed phylogenetic analyses, which may help to understand the evolutionary history of WNV circulating in the Western Mediterranean. To this aim, the present work describes six new complete WNV sequences from recent outbreaks and surveillance in Italy in 2008–2009 and in Spain in 2008 and 2010. Comparison with other sequences from different WNV clusters within lineage 1 (clade 1a) confirmed that all Western Mediterranean WNV isolates obtained since 1996 (except one from Tunisia, collected in 1997) cluster in a single monophyletic group (here called ‘WMed’ subtype). The analysis differentiated two subgroups within this subtype, which appear to have evolved from earlier WMed strains, suggesting a single introduction in the area, and further dissemination and evolution. Close similarities between WNV variants circulating in consecutive years, one in Spain, between 2007 and 2008, and another in Italy between 2008 and 2009, suggest that the virus possibly overwinters in Western Mediterranean sites. The NS3249-proline genotype, recently proposed as a virulence determinant for WNV, has arisen independently at least twice in the area. Overall, these results indicate that the frequent recurrence of outbreaks caused by phylogenetically homogeneous WNV in the Western Mediterranean since 1996 is consistent with a single introduction followed by viral persistence in endemic foci in the area, rather than resulting from independent introductions from exogenous endemic foci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Sotelo
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA)-INIA, Ctra. Algete-El Casar s/n, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Jovita Fernández-Pinero
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA)-INIA, Ctra. Algete-El Casar s/n, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA)-INIA, Ctra. Algete-El Casar s/n, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Ana Vázquez
- National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Ana Moreno
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Montserrat Agüero
- Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria, Ctra Algete km. 8, 28110 Algete, Spain
| | - Paolo Cordioli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Tenorio
- National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain
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9
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Molecular Approaches to the Diagnosis of Meningitis and Encephalitis. Mol Microbiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1128/9781555816834.ch50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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10
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Phylogeography of West Nile virus: from the cradle of evolution in Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas. J Virol 2010; 85:2964-74. [PMID: 21159871 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01963-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widely distributed of the encephalitic flaviviruses and is a major cause of encephalitis, with isolates obtained from all continents, apart from Antarctica. Subsequent to its divergence from the other members of the Japanese encephalitis virus complex, presumably in Africa, WNV has diverged into individual lineages that mostly correspond with geographic distribution. Here we elucidate the phylogeography and evolutionary history of isolates from lineage 1 of WNV. Interestingly, there are many examples of the same amino acid having evolved independently on multiple occasions. In Africa, WNV exists in an endemic cycle, whereas it is epidemic in Europe, being reintroduced regularly from Africa either directly (in western Europe) or via the Middle East (in eastern Europe). Significantly, introduction into other geographic areas has occurred on one occasion only in each region, leading to subsequent establishment and expansion of the virus in these areas. Only one endemic genotype each is present in India and Australia, suggesting that WNV was successfully introduced into these locations once only. Each introduction occurred many centuries ago, probably due to trade and exploration during the 19th century. Likewise, in the Americas, WNV was successfully introduced in 1999 and subsequently became endemic across most temperate regions of North America (NA). In contrast to previous suggestions, an isolate from the epidemic in Israel in 1998 was not the direct progenitor of the NA epidemic; rather, both epidemics originated from the same (unknown) location.
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11
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Yang Y, Wu C, Wu J, Nerurkar VR, Yanagihara R, Lu Y. Inhibition of West Nile Virus replication by retrovirus-delivered small interfering RNA in human neuroblastoma cells. J Med Virol 2008; 80:930-6. [PMID: 18360908 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.21164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) has been responsible for the largest outbreaks of arboviral encephalitis in U.S. history. No specific drug is currently available for the effective treatment of WNV infection. To exploit RNA interference as a potential therapeutic approach, a Moloney murine leukemia virus-based retrovirus vector was used to effectively deliver WNV-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) into human neuroblastoma HTB-11 cells. Viral plaque assays demonstrated that transduced cells were significantly refractory to WNV replication, as compared to untransduced control cells (P < 0.05), which correlated with the reduced expression of target viral genes and respective viral proteins. Therefore, retrovirus-mediated delivery of siRNA for gene silencing can be used to study the specific functions of viral genes associated with replication and may have potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongbo Yang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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12
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Martina BEE, Koraka P, van den Doel P, Rimmelzwaan GF, Haagmans BL, Osterhaus ADME. DC-SIGN enhances infection of cells with glycosylated West Nile virus in vitro and virus replication in human dendritic cells induces production of IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha. Virus Res 2008; 135:64-71. [PMID: 18405996 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2008.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2007] [Revised: 02/08/2008] [Accepted: 02/15/2008] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The recent introduction of West Nile virus (WNV) into the Western hemisphere resulted in significant human outbreaks causing disease of variable severity. Previous studies classified WNV into two major lineages (L1 and L2) that differ in their virulence. Since most L1 strains are glycosylated, we investigated the role of dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN) in infection efficiency of glycosylated WNV strains. We showed that glycosylated strains, in contrast to non-glycosylated strains, infected DC-SIGN expressing cells more efficiently than DC-SIGN negative cells. Furthermore, WNV can productively infect cultured human dendritic cells (DCs) and infection of dendritic cells with the glycosylated WNV-NY99 L1 strain induced production of significantly more TNF-alpha and IFN-alpha in cultured DC, than infection with the non-glycosylated B956 L2 strain. Together, these results indicate that DC-SIGN enhances infection of cells by WNV glycosylated strains, which may at least in part explain the higher pathogenicity of glycosylated L1 strains versus most non-glycosylated L2 strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron E E Martina
- Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Institute of Virology, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Green MS, Weinberger M, Ben-Ezer J, Bin H, Mendelson E, Gandacu D, Kaufman Z, Dichtiar R, Sobel A, Cohen D, Chowers MY. Long-term Death Rates, West Nile virus epidemic, Israel, 2000. Emerg Infect Dis 2006; 11:1754-7. [PMID: 16318731 PMCID: PMC3367367 DOI: 10.3201/eid1111.040941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the 2-year death rate of 246 adults discharged from hospital after experiencing acute West Nile Virus infection in Israel during 2000. The age- and sex-adjusted death rates were significantly higher than in the general population. This excess was greater for men. Significant adverse prognostic factors were age, male sex, diabetes mellitus, and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred S Green
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Gertner Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel.
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Hanna SL, Pierson TC, Sanchez MD, Ahmed AA, Murtadha MM, Doms RW. N-linked glycosylation of west nile virus envelope proteins influences particle assembly and infectivity. J Virol 2005; 79:13262-74. [PMID: 16227249 PMCID: PMC1262570 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.79.21.13262-13274.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) encodes two envelope proteins, premembrane (prM) and envelope (E). While the prM protein of all WNV strains contains a single N-linked glycosylation site, not all strains contain an N-linked site in the E protein. The presence of N-linked glycosylation on flavivirus E proteins has been linked to virus production, pH sensitivity, and neuroinvasiveness. Therefore, we examined the impact of prM and E glycosylation on WNV assembly and infectivity. Similar to other flaviviruses, expression of WNV prM and E resulted in the release of subviral particles (SVPs). Removing the prM glycosylation site in a lineage I or II strain decreased SVP release, as did removal of the glycosylation site in a lineage I E protein. Addition of the E protein glycosylation site in a lineage II strain that lacked this site increased SVP production. Similar results were obtained in the context of either reporter virus particles (RVPs) or infectious lineage II WNV. RVPs or virions bearing combinations of glycosylated and nonglycosylated forms of prM and E could infect mammalian, avian, and mosquito cells (BHK-21, QT6, and C6/36, respectively). Those particles lacking glycosylation on the E protein were modestly more infectious per genome copy on BHK-21 and QT6 cells, while this absence greatly enhanced the infection of C6/36 cells. Thus, glycosylation of WNV prM and E proteins can affect the efficiency of virus release and infection in a manner that is cell type and perhaps species dependent. This suggests a multifaceted role for envelope N-linked glycosylation in WNV biology and tropism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheri L Hanna
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, 225 Johnson Pavilion, 3610 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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15
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Schuffenecker I, Peyrefitte CN, el Harrak M, Murri S, Leblond A, Zeller HG. West Nile virus in Morocco, 2003. Emerg Infect Dis 2005; 11:306-9. [PMID: 15752452 PMCID: PMC3320441 DOI: 10.3201/eid1102.040817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) reemerged in Morocco in September 2003, causing an equine outbreak. A WNV strain isolated from a brain biopsy was completely sequenced. On the basis of phylogenetic analyses, Moroccan WNV strains isolated during the 1996 and 2003 outbreaks were closely related to other strains responsible for equine outbreaks in the western Mediterranean basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Schuffenecker
- Centre de Référence des Arbovirus, Institut Pasteur, 21 Ave Tony Garnier, 69365 Lyon cedex 07, France.
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16
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Zeller HG, Schuffenecker I. West Nile virus: an overview of its spread in Europe and the Mediterranean basin in contrast to its spread in the Americas. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2004; 23:147-56. [PMID: 14986160 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-003-1085-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
West Nile (WN) virus is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus. It is widely distributed in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and southern Europe and was recently introduced to North America. Birds are involved in the cycle of transmission as amplifying hosts. Humans and horses are considered accidental dead-end hosts. WN fever was initially considered a minor arbovirosis, usually inducing a nonsymptomatic or a mild flu-like illness in humans, but some cases of encephalitis associated with fatalities were reported in Israel in the 1950s. After two silent decades, several human and equine outbreaks of fatal encephalitis occurred from 1996 to 2000 in Romania, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, Russia, Israel, and France. In Romania, a few cases of WN encephalitis in humans are noticed every year, and in France, recent WN infections have been detected in monitored sentinel birds in 2001 and 2002. Phylogenetic studies have shown two main lineages of WN strains. Strains from lineage I are present in Africa, India, and Australia and are responsible for the outbreaks in Europe and in the Mediterranean basin, and strains from lineage II have been reported only in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1998, a virulent WN strain from lineage I was identified in dying migrating storks and domestic geese showing clinical symptoms of encephalitis and paralysis in Israel. A nearly identical WN strain suddenly emerged in New York in 1999, killing thousands of native birds and causing fatal cases in humans. The virus is now well established in the New World, and it disseminates rapidly. New modes of transmission through blood donations, organ transplants, and the intrauterine route have been reported. In Europe, an enhanced surveillance of WN infection in humans, horses, birds, and vectors may reveal the presence of the virus in different locations. Nevertheless, outbreaks of WN virus remain unpredictable. Further coordinated studies are needed for a better understanding of the ecology and the pathogenicity of the WN virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- H G Zeller
- Institut Pasteur, National Reference Center for Arboviruses, 21 Avenue Tony Garnier, 69365 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
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17
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Banet-Noach C, Malkinson M, Brill A, Samina I, Yadin H, Weisman Y, Pokamunski S, King R, Deubel V, Stram Y. Phylogenetic relationships of West Nile viruses isolated from birds and horses in Israel from 1997 to 2001. Virus Genes 2003; 26:135-41. [PMID: 12803465 DOI: 10.1023/a:1023431328933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In November 1997, an outbreak of a neuroparalytic disease caused by West Nile (WN) virus was diagnosed in young goose flocks. Domestic geese were similarly affected in the late summer and fall of 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. WN viruses were also isolated from migratory and wild birds and horses in 1998-2001. A 1278 bp sequence of the envelope gene of 24 Israeli WN virus isolates was compared with those of seven isolates from Africa, Europe and New York. As a result, the Israeli isolates could then be grouped into two clusters. The 15 avian and three equine from 1997-2001 in the first cluster of viruses were shown to be identical to WN-NY99, while the second cluster comprised one goose isolate from 1998 and two goose and two pigeon isolates from 2000. These closely resembled the most recent Old World isolates, and indicate that at least two WN genotypes were co-circulating in the region during this time.
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18
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Hindenburg A, Huang C. “Acute” West Nile Virus Encephalitis (Response to Krishnamoorthy et al.). Emerg Infect Dis 2003. [PMCID: PMC2972771 DOI: 10.3201/eid0905.030128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Cinnia Huang
- Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, New York, USA
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19
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Huang C, Slater B, Rudd R, Parchuri N, Hull R, Dupuis M, Hindenburg A. First Isolation of West Nile virus from a patient with encephalitis in the United States. Emerg Infect Dis 2002; 8:1367-71. [PMID: 12498649 PMCID: PMC2738499 DOI: 10.3201/eid0812.020532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) was isolated from a patient who developed encephalitis while undergoing treatment with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, hydroxydoxorubicin, vincristine [Oncovin], predisone) and rituximab for a non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma. Both standard reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Taqman RT-PCR established the diagnosis of WNV infection from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Several whole blood samples and one serum sample underwent further testing. CSF and serum samples were negative for WNV antibody; however, all samples were positive by both RT-PCR assays. Infectious virus was recovered from a blood sample, and its identity was confirmed by using a WNV-specific immunofluorescence assay. The complete WNV genomes determined from CSF and from the virus isolate adapted from cell culture were the same. The results represent the first complete WNV genome sequence obtained directly from human CSF and the first time that infectious WNV has been recovered from a patient with encephalitis in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinnia Huang
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany 12201, USA.
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20
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Hall RA, Broom AK, Smith DW, Mackenzie JS. The ecology and epidemiology of Kunjin virus. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2002; 267:253-69. [PMID: 12082993 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-59403-8_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R A Hall
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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21
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Murgue B, Zeller H, Deubel V. The ecology and epidemiology of West Nile virus in Africa, Europe and Asia. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2002; 267:195-221. [PMID: 12082990 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-59403-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B Murgue
- Institut Pasteur, Centre de Référence des Arbovirus et Fièvres Hémorragiques Virales, Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Lyon, France
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22
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Scherret JH, Mackenzie JS, Hall RA, Deubel V, Gould EA. Phylogeny and molecular epidemiology of West Nile and Kunjin viruses. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2002; 267:373-90. [PMID: 12082998 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-59403-8_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J H Scherret
- Center for Tropical Diseases and Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0609, USA
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23
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Abstract
During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic resurgence or emergence of epidemic arboviral diseases affecting both humans and domestic animals. These epidemics have been caused primarily by viruses thought to be under control such as dengue, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis, or viruses that have expanded their geographic distribution such as West Nile and Rift Valley fever. Several of these viruses are presented as case studies to illustrate the changing epidemiology. The factors responsible for the dramatic resurgence of arboviral diseases in the waning years of the 20th century are discussed, as is the need for rebuilding the public health infrastructure to deal with epidemic vector-borne diseases in the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duane J Gubler
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA.
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24
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Briese T, Rambaut A, Pathmajeyan M, Bishara J, Weinberger M, Pitlik S, Lipkin WI. Phylogenetic analysis of a human isolate from the 2000 Israel West Nile virus epidemic. Emerg Infect Dis 2002; 8:528-31. [PMID: 11996693 PMCID: PMC2732485 DOI: 10.3201/eid0805.010324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Specimens from a patient of the 2000 Israel West Nile virus epidemic were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Products corresponding to E, NS3, and NS5 sequences were amplified from cerebellar but not from cortical samples. Phylogenetic analyses indicated a closer relationship of this isolate to 1996 Romanian and 1999 Russian than to 1998-99 Israeli or 1999 New York isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Briese
- Emerging Diseases Laboratory, Dept. of Neurology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, 3107 Gillespie Neuroscience Building, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4292, USA.
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25
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Malkinson M, Banet C, Weisman Y, Pokamunski S, King R, Drouet MT, Deubel V. Introduction of West Nile virus in the Middle East by migrating white storks. Emerg Infect Dis 2002; 8:392-7. [PMID: 11971773 PMCID: PMC2730252 DOI: 10.3201/eid0804.010217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) was isolated in a flock of 1,200 migrating white storks that landed in Eilat, a town in southern Israel, on August 26, 1998. Strong, hot westerly winds had forced the storks to fly under considerable physical stress before reaching the agricultural land surrounding the town. Most of the flock were fledglings, <1 year old, which had hatched in Europe. Thirteen dead or dying storks were collected 2 days after arrival and submitted to the laboratory for examination. Four WNV isolates were obtained from their brains. Out of 11 storks tested six days after arrival, three had WNV-neutralizing antibodies. Comparative analysis of full-length genomic sequences of a stork isolate and a 1999 flamingo isolate from the USA showed 28 nucleotide (nt) (0.25%) and 10 amino acid (0.3%) changes. Sequence analysis of the envelope gene of the stork isolate showed almost complete identity with isolates from Israeli domestic geese in 1998 and 1999 and from a nonmigrating, white-eyed gull in 1999. Since these storks were migrating southwards for the first time and had not flown over Israel, we assume that they had become infected with WNV at some point along their route of migration in Europe.
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26
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27
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Weinberger M, Pitlik SD, Gandacu D, Lang R, Nassar F, Ben David D, Rubinstein E, Izthaki A, Mishal J, Kitzes R, Siegman-Igra Y, Giladi M, Pick N, Mendelson E, Bin H, Shohat T, Chowers MY. West Nile Fever Outbreak, Israel, 2000: Epidemiologic Aspects. Emerg Infect Dis 2001. [DOI: 10.3201/eid0704.017416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dan Gandacu
- Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ruth Lang
- Meir Medical Center, Kfar Sava, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hanna Bin
- Israeli Center for Disease Control, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Tamar Shohat
- Central Virology Laboratory, Tel Hashomer, Israel
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Petersen
- Division of Vector-Borne Infections Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, P.O. Box 2087, Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA.
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29
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Weinberger M, Pitlik SD, Gandacu D, Lang R, Nassar F, Ben David D, Rubinstein E, Izthaki A, Mishal J, Kitzes R, Siegman-Igra Y, Giladi M, Pick N, Mendelson E, Bin H, Shohat T. West Nile fever outbreak, Israel, 2000: epidemiologic aspects. Emerg Infect Dis 2001; 7:686-91. [PMID: 11585533 PMCID: PMC2631774 DOI: 10.3201/eid0704.010416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
From August 1 to October 31, 2000, 417 cases of West Nile (WN) fever were serologically confirmed throughout Israel; 326 (78%) were hospitalized patients. Cases were distributed throughout the country; the highest incidence was in central Israel, the most populated part. Men and women were equally affected, and their mean age was 54+/-23.8 years (range 6 months to 95 years). Incidence per 1,000 population increased from 0.01 in the 1st decade of life to 0.87 in the 9th decade. There were 35 deaths (case-fatality rate 8.4%), all in patients >50 years of age. Age-specific case-fatality rate increased with age. Central nervous system involvement occurred in 170 (73%) of 233 hospitalized patients. The countrywide spread, number of hospitalizations, severity of the disease, and high death rate contrast with previously reported outbreaks in Israel.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Weinberger
- Internal Medicine C & Infectious Diseases, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach-Tikva 49100, Israel.
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