West Nile Virus–associated Flaccid Paralysis

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Sejvar, James J. ; Bode, Amy V. ; Marfin, Anthony A. ; Campbell, Grant L. ; Ewing, David ; Mazowiecki, Michael ; Pavot, Pierre V. ; Schmitt, Joseph ; Pape, John ; Biggerstaff, Brad J. ; Petersen, Lyle R.
• Description:
  The causes and frequency of acute paralysis and respiratory failure with West Nile virus (WNV) infection are incompletely understood. During the summer and fall of 2003, we conducted a prospective, population-based study among residents of a 3-county area in Colorado, United States, with developing WNV-associated paralysis. Thirty-two patients with developing paralysis and acute WNV infection were identified. Causes included a poliomyelitislike syndrome in 27 (84%) patients and a Guillain-Barré-like syndrome in 4 (13%); 1 had brachial plexus involvement alone. The incidence of poliomyelitislike syndrome was 3.7/100,000. Twelve patients (38%), including 1 with Guillain-Barré-like syndrome, had acute respiratory failure that required endotracheal intubation. At 4 months, 3 patients with respiratory failure died, 2 remained intubated, 25 showed various degrees of improvement, and 2 were lost to followup. A poliomyelitislike syndrome likely involving spinal anterior horn cells is the most common mechanism of WNV-associated paralysis and is associated with significant short- and long-term illness and death.
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Adult Aged Aged, 80 And Over Female Guillain-Barre Syndrome Humans Incidence Male Middle Aged Muscle Hypotonia Odds Ratio Paralysis Research Respiratory Insufficiency West Nile Fever

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• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 11(7):1021-1027.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Volume:
  11
• Issue:
  7
• Collection(s):
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:f8fbae3c6ab0953e92fdc41a36c667fbc978c945ea3743882e9484dcbc23910f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/10798/cdc_10798_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 217.63 KB ]