title: [Venezuelan equine encephalitis. 1995 outbreak: clinical profile of the case with neurologic involvement].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus has caused periodic epidemics and epizootics in the American continent since the 1920s. Such events have been profusely documented from the epidemiologic point of view, however, reports concerning the clinical features of this disease are rather scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the clinical characteristics evidenced by Venezuelan equine encephalitis patients from Zulia state (western Venezuela) studied during the outbreak that occurred in Colombia and Venezuela in 1995. These cases, classified as complicated, were hospitalized at the Hospital Universitario de Maracaibo, state of Zulia, Venezuela.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical charts of 313 Venezuelan equine encephalitis patients hospitalized during the period January 1st 1995-March 31st 1996 were reviewed. These cases accounted for 2.82% of 11,072 patients that were medically assisted during the outbreak. The following variables were analyzed: age, gender, signs and symptoms, contact history, complications and evolution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intracranial hypertension signs became eloquent in 55.9% of these patients. Neurologic complications were represented by two cases of cerebellitis, two cases of meningoencephalitis and one case of encephalomyelitis. The mortality rate was 1.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results corroborate the benign evolutionary profile that is typical of this entity.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario, Zulia, Venezuela.
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Haack
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Cardozo
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cardozo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004685:Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology