Diagnosis of Jamestown Canyon encephalitis by polymerase chain reaction

In recent years, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been under study as a potential technique to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of suspected central nervous system viral infections. We describe a case of severe encephalitis in a previously healthy 20-year-old woman from New York who presented with headache, fever, and photophobia. Her illness was characterized by progressive worsening of her neurological status, leading to confusion, delirium, and status epilepticus. The diagnosis of Jamestown Canyon encephalitis was established by positive reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and nucleic acid sequencing of the band from both cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue. The nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence of the Jamestown Canyon virus from this patient were very similar to Jamestown Canyon virus isolates from mosquito pools in New York. This report suggests that RT-PCR assays could be important tools in the diagnostic workup of cases of encephalitis.