West Nile Virus

Paul G. Auwaerter, M.D.
West Nile Virus is a topic covered in the Johns Hopkins ABX Guide.

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MICROBIOLOGY

  • West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus infection. RNA virus, part of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of viruses.
  • Humans mainly acquire through the bite of an infected mosquito in tropical and temperate regions; virus mainly found in birds, but also dogs, cats, horses, bats, chipmunks, and other rodents [see transmission cycle].
    • Culex spp. a leading cause of WNV infection, but other mosquito species may participate.
    • Birds, especially crows and jays, sicken and die when infected. Some locales offer evaluation of dead birds in order to assess for the presence of WNV in the environment.
  • Cause of epidemic encephalitis, now endemic in the U.S.

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MICROBIOLOGY

  • West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus infection. RNA virus, part of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of viruses.
  • Humans mainly acquire through the bite of an infected mosquito in tropical and temperate regions; virus mainly found in birds, but also dogs, cats, horses, bats, chipmunks, and other rodents [see transmission cycle].
    • Culex spp. a leading cause of WNV infection, but other mosquito species may participate.
    • Birds, especially crows and jays, sicken and die when infected. Some locales offer evaluation of dead birds in order to assess for the presence of WNV in the environment.
  • Cause of epidemic encephalitis, now endemic in the U.S.

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Last updated: December 9, 2019