[Importance of transmission electron microscopy in the diagnosis of a Venezuelan equine encephalitis outbreak in 1995 in the Venezuelan Guajira].
Transmission electron microscopy of the brain in 25 newborn mice was performed. Mice were intracerebrally inoculated with cultured VERO cells infected with VEE to be used as positive control, with samples of serum of cerebrospinal fluid from patients with clinical symptoms and signs of encephalitis, with serum from healthy patients or with serum from sick equines. Borate bovine albumin serum was also inoculated in some mice to be used as negative control. All samples were obtained during the epizootic and epidemic outbreak in the Venezuelan Guajira area, northern of Zulia State during October 1995. The ultrastructural study was blindly performed, however the presence of Togavirus particles were detected in 100% of the virologically positive cases. The usefulness, accuracy and speed of the employed methodology is stressed.
Valero-Fuenmayor
N
N
Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
García-Tamayo
J
J
Escorihuela-García
S
S
Caleiras
E
E
Parada
D
D
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004685:Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000821:virology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology; D014709:Vero Cells / Q000821:virology; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned