title: Human outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis detected in Argentina, 2005.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An outbreak of flavivirus encephalitis occurred in 2005 in Córdoba province, Argentina.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the epidemiologic and clinical features of that outbreak and provide the serologic results that identified St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) as the etiologic agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January to May 2005, patients with symptoms of encephalitis, meningitis, or fever with severe headache were evaluated and an etiologic diagnosis achieved by detection of flavivirus-specific antibody sera and cerebrospinal fluid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The epidemic curve of 47 cases showed an explosive outbreak starting in January 2005 with one peak in mid-February and a second peak in mid-March; the epidemic ended in May. Cases occurred predominantly among persons 60 years and older. Nine deaths were reported. SLEV antibodies, when detected in 47 patients studied, had a pattern characteristic of a primary SLEV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though isolated cases of St. Louis encephalitis have been reported in Argentina, this is the first description of a large SLEV encephalitis outbreak in Argentina.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virologia "Dr José María Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, 5016 Córdoba, Argentina. contigia@cmefcm.uncor.edu
authors.forename: Lorena I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Spinsanti
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Glatstein
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arselán
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Adrián A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Farías
authors.forename: Cintia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: Juán J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ré
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frías
authors.forename: Walter R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Almirón
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hunsperger
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siirin
authors.forename: Amelia Travassos
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Da Rosa
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tesh
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Enría
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Contigiani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004665:Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004674:Encephalitis, St. Louis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012621:Seasons; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral