Clinical and virological findings in the ongoing outbreak of West Nile virus Livenza strain in northern Italy, July to September 2012

Euro Surveill. 2012 Sep 6;17(36):20260.

Abstract

In July-September 2012, one month earlier than in previous years, 13 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus infection were diagnosed in northern Italy, including five with neuroinvasive disease, three with West Nile fever, and five West Nile virus (WNV)-positive blood donors. In nine cases, the presence of the WNV lineage 1a Livenza strain, characterised in 2011, was ascertained. Symptomatic patients had prolonged viruria with high viral load.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blood Donors
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Population Surveillance / methods
  • RNA, Viral / genetics*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Analysis
  • Viral Load
  • West Nile Fever / epidemiology
  • West Nile Fever / genetics
  • West Nile Fever / virology*
  • West Nile virus / genetics*
  • West Nile virus / isolation & purification

Substances

  • RNA, Viral