Saint Louis encephalitis
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Saint Louis encephalitis virus | |
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Electron micrograph of Saint Louis encephalitis virus seen in a mosquito salivary gland
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Virus classification | |
(unranked): | Virus |
Realm: | Riboviria |
Kingdom: | Orthornavirae |
Phylum: | Kitrinoviricota |
Class: | Flasuviricetes |
Order: | Amarillovirales |
Family: | Flaviviridae |
Genus: | Flavivirus |
Species: | Saint Louis encephalitis virus
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Synonyms | |
Saint Louis encephalitis | |
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Specialty | Infectious diseases |
Saint Louis encephalitis is a disease caused by the
Signs and symptoms
The majority of infections result in mild illness, including fever and headache. When infection is more severe the person may experience headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions and spastic paralysis. Fatality ranges from 3–30%. Elderly people are more likely to have a fatal infection.[citation needed]
Transmission
Mosquitoes, primarily from the genus Culex, become infected by feeding on birds infected with the Saint Louis encephalitis virus. The most common vector of this disease within the genus Culex is Culex pipiens, also known as the common house mosquito.[4] Infected mosquitoes then transmit the Saint Louis encephalitis virus to humans and animals during the feeding process. The Saint Louis encephalitis virus grows both in the infected mosquito and the infected bird, but does not make either one sick. Only infected mosquitoes can transmit Saint Louis encephalitis virus. Once a human has been infected with the virus it is not transmissible from that individual to other humans.[citation needed]
Genetics
Five evolutionary genetic studies of SLE virus have been published of which four
A recent evolutionary study
Another study estimated the evolutionary rate to be 4.1 × 10−4 substitutions/site/year (95% confidence internal 2.5-5.7 × 10−4 substitutions/site/year).[11] The virus seems to have evolved in northern Mexico and then spread northwards with migrating birds.
Treatment
There are no
Epidemiology
In the United States an average of 128 cases of Saint Louis encephalitis are recorded annually. In temperate areas of the United States, Saint Louis encephalitis cases occur primarily in the late summer or early fall. In the southern United States where the climate is milder Saint Louis encephalitis can occur year-round.[citation needed]
History
The name of the virus goes back to 1933 when within five weeks in autumn an encephalitis epidemic of explosive proportions broke out in the vicinity of St. Louis, Missouri, and the neighboring St. Louis County.[13][14] Over 1,000 cases were reported to the local health departments and the newly constituted National Institutes of Health of the United States was appealed to for epidemiological and investigative expertise.[15] The previously unknown virus that caused the epidemic was isolated by the NIH team first in monkeys and then in white mice.[16]
On September 11, 2001, an outbreak of this disease prompted an emergency alert in Louisiana after 50 cases were reported.
References
- ^ Siddell, Stuart (April 2017). "Change the names of 43 virus species to accord with ICVCN Code, Section 3-II, Rule 3.13 regarding the use of ligatures, diacritical marks, punctuation marks (excluding hyphens), subscripts, superscripts, oblique bars and non-Latin letters in taxon names" (ZIP). International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ ICTV 5th Report Francki, R. I. B., Fauquet, C. M., Knudson, D. L. & Brown, F. (eds)(1991). Classification and nomenclature of viruses. Fifthreport of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Archives of Virology Supplementum 2, p226 https://ictv.global/ictv/proposals/ICTV%205th%20Report.pdf
- ^ PMID 30585228.
- ^ "Saint Louis Encephalitis". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. November 20, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- PMID 9288820.
- S2CID 24755534.
- PMID 12560576.
- ^ PMID 18632961.
- PMID 18374605.
- ^ "Solving The Mystery Of St. Louis Encephalitis". American Museum of Natural History. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- PMID 18708161.
- PMID 15319857.
- PMID 18013846.
- ^ Washington Post Magazine, October 8, 1933
- PMID 18013860.
- ^ Edward A. Beeman: Charles Armstrong, M.D.: A Biography; 2007; p. 305; also online here (PDF).
External links
- United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Saint Louis encephalitis.
- St. Louis Encephalitis at eMedicine
- The Encephalitis Society - A Global resource on Encephalitis
- "St. Louis encephalitis virus". NCBI Taxonomy Browser. 11080.