title: First molecular analysis of West Nile virus during the 2013 outbreak in Croatia.
abstract: This is the second subsequent year of West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND) outbreak in Croatia. Between July and October 2013, 22 patients presented with symptoms of WNND: all with meningitis and 18 additionally with encephalitis. In contrast to 2012, where six autochthonous infections were confirmed in eastern Croatia, the majority of this year's cases occurred in and around the city of Zagreb, where no West Nile virus infections have been observed before. Viral RNA was recovered from two patients and phylogenetic analyses revealed West Nile virus lineage 2. This represents the first molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the circulating West Nile virus strain in Croatia.
authors.affiliation: Research Department, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: ikurolt@bfm.hr.
authors.forename: Ivan C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Kurolt
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department for Adult Intensive Care and Neuroinfections, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krajinović
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department for Acute Respiratory Infections, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Antea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Topić
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department for Acute Respiratory Infections, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ilija
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuzman
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department for Adult Intensive Care and Neuroinfections, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baršić
authors.affiliation: Research Department, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljević", Zagreb, Croatia; Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Alemka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Markotić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019371:Topography, Medical; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Croatia; Outbreak; Phylogeny; West Nile neuroinvasive disease; West Nile virus