title: Concurrent occurrence of human and equine West Nile virus infections in Central Anatolia, Turkey: the first evidence for circulation of lineage 1 viruses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  West Nile fever is an important zoonotic infection caused by West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae. Previous serological data from Turkey suggest widespread WNV circulation. This report includes cases of human and equine WNV infections occurring concurrently, and manifesting as central nervous system infections, in two neighboring provinces of Central Anatolia, Turkey. A partial phylogenetic analysis of the causative virus is given for the first time.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cases were reported in February (horses) and March (human). Symptoms of the disease were similar in the two species, characterized by neurological manifestations suggesting meningoencephalitis. Real-time/nested PCRs and commercial immunoassays and a plaque reduction neutralization assay were employed for the detection of viral RNA and specific antibodies, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WNV RNAs were detected in buffy coat (horses) and cerebrospinal fluid (human) samples. Partial nucleotide sequences of the E-gene coding region revealed that the strains are closely related to viruses of lineage 1, clade 1a. Accompanying equine serosurveillance demonstrated WNV-specific antibodies in 31.6% of the samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of acute WNV infections caused by lineage 1 strains from Turkey, in concordance with previous reports from some European and North African countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Irfan Bastug Cad. Diskapi, Ankara 06110, Turkey. ozkul@ankara.edu.tr
authors.forename: Aykut
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkul
authors.forename: Koray
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ergunay
authors.forename: Aydan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koysuren
authors.forename: Feray
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.forename: Ethem M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Arsava
authors.forename: Seda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tezcan
authors.forename: Gurol
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Emekdas
authors.forename: Sabri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hacioglu
authors.forename: Mahur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Durdal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Us
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral