Clinical findings of West Nile virus infection in hospitalized patients, New York and New Jersey, 2000.
Outbreaks of West Nile (WN) virus occurred in the New York metropolitan area in 1999 and 2000. Nineteen patients diagnosed with WN infection were hospitalized in New York and New Jersey in 2000 and were included in this review. Eleven patients had encephalitis or meningoencephalitis, and eight had meningitis alone. Ages of patients ranged from 36 to 87 years (median 63 years). Fever and neurologic and gastrointestinal symptoms predominated. Severe muscle weakness on neurologic examination was found in three patients. Age was associated with disease severity. Hospitalized cases and deaths were lower in 2000 than in 1999, although the case-fatality rate was unchanged. Clinicians in the Northeast should maintain a high level of suspicion during the summer when evaluating older patients with febrile illnesses and neurologic symptoms, especially if associated with gastrointestinal complaints or muscle weakness.
Weiss
D
D
New York City Department of Health, 125 Worth St., New York, NY 10013, USA. Dweiss@health.nyc.gov
Carr
D
D
Kellachan
J
J
Tan
C
C
Phillips
M
M
Bresnitz
E
E
Layton
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D011859:Radiography; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral