Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Portable Thermographic Screening for Detection of Acute Wallenberg's Syndrome
Published on: September 19, 2019
Stiff-person syndrome following West Nile fever
Sharon Hassin-Baer1, Eilon D Kirson, Lester Shulman
1Department of Neurology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. shassin@post.tau.ac.il
Background:
Stiff-person syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder associated with antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the key enzyme in gamma-aminobutyric acid synthesis. In most cases, a trigger cannot be identified.
Objective:
To describe a 41-year-old man who developed stiff-person syndrome and antibodies to GAD following acute West Nile virus infection.
Design:
A case report and a search in GenBank for common epitopes.
Result:
The search revealed a stretch of 12 amino acids in the NS1 protein of West Nile virus with a high degree of homology to the GAD65 region (an isoform of GAD) containing the PEVKEK motif.
Conclusion:
Cross-reactivity between antibodies directed against West Nile virus and GAD may have contributed to the development of stiff-person syndrome in this patient.
Related Concept Videos
Arboviral Encephalitis
Encephalitis l: Introduction
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Bacterial Meningitis
Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
Bacterial Meningitis I: Introduction

