Review article
How much and what do we know about the West Nile virus infection?
Nenad Pandak
; OB "Dr. Josip Benčević", Slavonski Brod, Hrvatska
Tatjana Vilibić-Čavlek
; Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ljubo Barbić
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Iva Pem Novoesl
; Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ivica Čabraja
; OB "Dr. Josip Benčević", Slavonski Brod, Hrvatska
Božana Miklaušić
; OB "Dr. Josip Benčević", Slavonski Brod, Hrvatska
Jasmina Kučinar
; Zavod za javno zdravstvo županije Istarske, Pula, Hrvatska
Vladimir Savić
; Hrvatski veterinarski institut, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ana Klobučar
; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo "Andrija Š[tampar", Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Although we have been familiar with the West Nile virus (WNV) for the last 80 years more intense research has been conducted in the past fifteen years, just after the huge central nervous system infection outbreak. WNV is a member of the Flaviviridae family, genus Flavvirus. Though WNV consists of a single serotype, genetically it can be divided in at least eight lineages where lineages 1, 2 and 5 are medically the most important ones. The virus originated from Africa and spread worldwide. Birds are natural reservoirs of the virus and mosquitoes are their vectors. The most usual transmission to humans is the mosquito bite but the virus can also be transmitted via blood transfusion or solid organ transplantation. After 3 –14 days of the incubation period, usually an asymptomatic or mild febrile disease occurs while a neuroinvasive disease develops in a rather small number of patients. Symptomatic therapy is the basis for treatment, however prolonged recovery and neurological sequalae are sometimes seen as well.
Keywords
West Nile virus; epidemiology; pathogenesis; clinical presentation; treatment
Hrčak ID:
153794
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2015.
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