Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.6 (RNA polymerase)
 34,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

West Nile fever caused fatal disease in humans, horses, and birds in the northeastern United States during 1999. We studied birds from two wildlife facilities in New York City, New York, that died or were euthanatized and were suspected to have West Nile virus infections. Using standard histologic and ultrastructural methods, virus isolation, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, we identified West Nile virus as the cause of clinical disease, severe pathologic changes, and death in 27 birds representing eight orders and 14 species. Virus was detected in 23/26 brains (88%), 24/ 25 hearts (96%), 15/18 spleens (83%), 14/20 livers (70%), 20/20 kidneys (100%), 10/13 adrenals (77%), 13/ 14 intestines (93%), 10/12 pancreata (83%), 5/12 lungs (42%), and 4/8 ovaries (50%) by one or more methods. Cellular targets included neurons and glial cells in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral ganglia; myocardial fibers; macrophages and blood monocytes; renal tubular epithelium; adrenal cortical cells; pancreatic acinar cells and islet cells; intestinal crypt epithelium; oocytes; and fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Purkinje cells were especially targeted, except in crows and magpies. Gross hemorrhage of the brain, splenomegaly, meningoencephalitis, and myocarditis were the most prominent lesions. Immunohistochemistry was an efficient and reliable method for identifying infected cases, but the polyclonal antibody cross-reacted with St. Louis encephalitis virus and other flaviviruses. In contrast, the in situ hybridization probe pWNV-E (WN-USAMRIID99) reacted only with West Nile virus. These methods should aid diagnosticians faced with the emergence of West Nile virus in the United States.
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PMID:Pathology of fatal West Nile virus infections in native and exotic birds during the 1999 outbreak in New York City, New York. 1081 Sep 85

West Nile fever (WNF) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus infection. It is epidemic in Africa and Asia. In autumn 1997, a WNF epidemic occurred in the Sfax area (southeastern Tunisia). Fifty-seven patients were hospitalized with aseptic meningitis and/or encephalitis. Search for specific anti-West Nile virus (WNV) antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was performed using an ELISA test. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the WNV genome in CSF and brain specimens. Recent central nervous system (CNS) infection by WNV was confirmed in 30 patients, probable infection in 17 and it was excluded in 10. In the confirmed subgroup, patients with encephalitis were older than those with meningitis. CSF showed pleocytosis, high protein (47%) and normal glucose levels. Brain computed tomography-scan (CT-scan) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were normal. RT-PCR disclosed WNV genome in the CSF in two cases and in a brain specimen in one. Three patients died rapidly, the remaining cases had favorable prognosis. Autopsy was performed in two cases and showed nonspecific lesions of encephalitis. No viral inclusions were seen with light microscopy. Seropositivity rate in patients' proxies for WNV was 23.4%. Prognosis of CNS involvement during WNF seemed to be poor in older patients. This is the first WNV encephalitis epidemic report in the Sfax area of Tunisia.
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PMID:Epidemic West Nile virus encephalitis in Tunisia. 1545 2