Murray Valley encephalitis, 1974: clinical features.

Of the 58 patients who developed Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) during 1974, 22 were admitted to Fairfield Hospital, Melbourne. The patients were of all ages, but the disease was most common in children. Calculations suggest that the incubation period of MVE is from one to four weeks. The severity of brain damage varies considerably; 11 patients recovered almost completely, seven had severe residual damage and four patients died. There are no special features which distinguish MVE from any other form of encephalitis. The survival of five of eight patients who required artificial respiration suggests that patients with suspected MVE should be transported at an early stage to a hospital where artificial respiration is available if necessary. There is no evidence that infection with the MVE virus can cause clinical manifestations of a disease other than acute encephalitis.