title: Concurrent Outbreaks of St. Louis Encephalitis Virus and West Nile Virus Disease - Arizona, 2015.
abstract: St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are closely related mosquito-borne flaviviruses that can cause outbreaks of acute febrile illness and neurologic disease. Both viruses are endemic throughout much of the United States and have the same Culex species mosquito vectors and avian hosts (1); however, since WNV was first identified in the United States in 1999, SLEV disease incidence has been substantially lower than WNV disease incidence, and no outbreaks involving the two viruses circulating in the same location at the same time have been identified. Currently, there is a commercially available laboratory test for diagnosis of acute WNV infection, but there is no commercially available SLEV test, and all SLEV testing must be performed at public health laboratories. In addition, because antibodies against SLEV and WNV can cross-react on standard diagnostic tests, confirmatory neutralizing antibody testing at public health laboratories is usually required to determine the flavivirus species (2). This report describes the first known concurrent outbreaks of SLEV and WNV disease in the United States.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Venkat
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krow-Lucal
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hennessey
authors.forename: Jefferson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sylvester
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Kirk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Plante
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: J Erin
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Staples
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hills
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004674:Encephalitis, St. Louis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult