West Nile Virus, an Underdiagnosed Cause of Acute Fever of Unknown Origin and Neurological Disease among Hospitalized Patients in South Africa.

ABSTRACT: West Nile virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is endemic to South Africa. However, its contribution to acute febrile and neurological disease in hospitalized patients in South Africa is unknown. This study examined two patient cohorts for WNV using molecular testing and IgM serology with confirmation of serological results by viral neutralization tests (VNT) to address this knowledge gap. Univariate analysis was performed using collected demographic and clinical information to identify risk factors. In the first cohort, 219 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from patients with acute neurological disease in Gauteng hospitals collected in January to June 2017 were tested for WNV. The study identified WNV in 8/219 (3.65%, 95.00% CI (1.59-7.07)) patients with unsolved neurological infec

SUBMITTER: MacIntyre C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10674603 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature