Human outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis detected in Argentina, 2005

SPINSANTI, L.; DÍAZ, L. A.; GLADSTEIN, N.; ARSELÁN, S.; MORALES, M. A.; FARIAS, A.; FABBRI, C.; AGUILAR, J.; RE, V.; FARIAS, M.; ALMIRÓN, W. R.; HUNSPERGER, E.; SIIRIN, M.; TRAVASSOS DA ROSA, A.; TESH, R.; ENRIA, D.; CONTIGIANI, M.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY : THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PAN AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CLINICAL VIROLOGY.

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2008 vol. 42 p. 27 - 33

1386-6532

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.