title: West Nile encephalitis in 2 hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: case series and literature review.
abstract: Most human cases of West Nile virus infection are acquired via bites from an infected mosquito. In some cases, infection may also be transmitted by infected blood products or transplanted organs. There have been recent publications suggesting that chemotherapy and immunosuppression may increase a person's risks of developing central nervous system disease if the person is infected with the West Nile virus. Because patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation not only are immunocompromised, but also receive multiple blood products, they are at a particularly high risk for acquiring symptomatic disease if exposed to the West Nile Virus. We describe here 2 patients who underwent hematopoietic transplantation at our institution and subsequently developed fatal West Nile virus infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Kalen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Issam I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Raad
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anderlini
authors.forename: Gregory N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ippoliti
authors.forename: Rita M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cool
authors.forename: Norman E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Leeds
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Narvios
authors.forename: Xiang Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Padula
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Champlin
authors.forename: Chitra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hosing
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014902:West Nile virus