BACKGROUND: An outbreak of flavivirus encephalitis occurred in 2005 in Córdoba province, Argentina. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the epidemiologic and clinical features of that outbreak and provide the serologic results that identified St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) as the etiologic agent. STUDY DESIGN: From January to May 2005, patients with symptoms of encephalitis, meningitis, or fever with severe headache were evaluated and an etiologic diagnosis achieved by detection of flavivirus-specific antibody sera and cerebrospinal fluid. RESULTS: The epidemic curve of 47 cases showed an explosive outbreak starting in January 2005 with one peak in mid-February and a second peak in mid-March; the epidemic ended in May. Cases occurred predominantly among persons 60 years and older. Nine deaths were reported. SLEV antibodies, when detected in 47 patients studied, had a pattern characteristic of a primary SLEV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Even though isolated cases of St. Louis encephalitis have been reported in Argentina, this is the first description of a large SLEV encephalitis outbreak in Argentina.
BACKGROUND: An outbreak of flavivirus encephalitis occurred in 2005 in Córdoba province, Argentina. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the epidemiologic and clinical features of that outbreak and provide the serologic results that identified St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) as the etiologic agent. STUDY DESIGN: From January to May 2005, patients with symptoms of encephalitis, meningitis, or fever with severe headache were evaluated and an etiologic diagnosis achieved by detection of flavivirus-specific antibody sera and cerebrospinal fluid. RESULTS: The epidemic curve of 47 cases showed an explosive outbreak starting in January 2005 with one peak in mid-February and a second peak in mid-March; the epidemic ended in May. Cases occurred predominantly among persons 60 years and older. Nine deaths were reported. SLEV antibodies, when detected in 47 patients studied, had a pattern characteristic of a primary SLEV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Even though isolated cases of St. Louis encephalitis have been reported in Argentina, this is the first description of a large SLEV encephalitis outbreak in Argentina.
Authors: Fernando S Flores; Camila Zanluca; Alberto A Guglielmone; Claudia N Duarte Dos Santos; Marcelo B Labruna; Adrián Diaz Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Date: 2019-05 Impact factor: 2.345
Authors: G Albrieu-Llinás; R Gallardo; B S Konigheim; A I Quaglia; B Mariño; J Curiotti; R Mazzini; M S Contigiani Journal: Arch Virol Date: 2021-01-12 Impact factor: 2.574
Authors: Brett M Forshey; Carolina Guevara; V Alberto Laguna-Torres; Manuel Cespedes; Jorge Vargas; Alberto Gianella; Efrain Vallejo; César Madrid; Nicolas Aguayo; Eduardo Gotuzzo; Victor Suarez; Ana Maria Morales; Luis Beingolea; Nora Reyes; Juan Perez; Monica Negrete; Claudio Rocha; Amy C Morrison; Kevin L Russell; Patrick J Blair; James G Olson; Tadeusz J Kochel Journal: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Date: 2010-08-10
Authors: Luis Adrian Díaz; Guillermo Albrieu Llinás; Ana Vázquez; Antonio Tenorio; Marta Silvia Contigiani Journal: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Date: 2012-01-31
Authors: Luis A Diaz; Sandra E Goñi; Javier A Iserte; Agustín I Quaglia; Amber Singh; Christopher H Logue; Ann M Powers; Marta S Contigiani Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-08-27 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Anne Kopp; Thomas R Gillespie; Daniel Hobelsberger; Alejandro Estrada; James M Harper; Richard A Miller; Isabella Eckerle; Marcel A Müller; Lars Podsiadlowski; Fabian H Leendertz; Christian Drosten; Sandra Junglen Journal: MBio Date: 2013-06-11 Impact factor: 7.867
Authors: Analía Burgueño; Lorena Spinsanti; Luis Adrián Díaz; María Elisa Rivarola; Juan Arbiza; Marta Contigiani; Adriana Delfraro Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2013-12-29 Impact factor: 3.411