title: [Outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis in the Metropolitan Buenos Aires Area].
abstract: We describe the epidemiological and clinical findings of 13 patients with diagnosis of infection by St. Louis encephalitis virus, transmitted between January and March 2010 in Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA). Thirteen patients, average age 38 years, had an acute onset with hyperthermia and headache. Between days two and ten of the onset of symptoms, 7/13 patients had signs and symptoms of neurological involvement. This was characterized by meningitis without encephalic sings in 1/7 and in 6/7 the most frequent findings were: stiff neck, disorientation, photophobia, confusion and language impairment. Two MR and one EEG revealed signs of involvement of temporal lobes. The cerebrospinal fluid showed pleocytosis with predominance of mononuclear cells, normal glucose and moderately elevated protein. There were no fatalities cases. In 6/13 patients the initial clinical suspicion was dengue. As epidemic virus circulation had not been previously reported in the AMBA it can be considered an outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis for the spatial and temporal clustering of cases.
authors: Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas Francisco J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina. ceijo@intramed.net
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: Seijo
authors: Alejandra
authors: A
authors: Morales
authors: Gladys
authors: G
authors: Poustis
authors: Yamila
authors: Y
authors: Romer
authors: Ernesto
authors: E
authors: Efron
authors: Guillermo
authors: G
authors: Vilora
authors: Susana
authors: S
authors: Lloveras
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Giamperetti
authors: Teresita
authors: T
authors: Puente
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Monroig
authors: Victoria
authors: V
authors: Luppo
authors: Delia
authors: D
authors: Enría
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004674:Encephalitis, St. Louis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult