West Nile Virus infection

- transmitted by Culex mosquitoes
- associated with maculopapular rash, headache, ocular pain, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and arthralgia
- occasionally causes aseptic meningitis and severe encephalitis (incidence of neurological involvement ~ 1%)
- diagnosis is initially clinical and subsequent serological confirmation
- real time PCR of CSF may identify the viral RNA
- treatment is supportive
- interferon alpha has been the only treatment which may affect the outcome in West Nile encephalitis