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WEST NILE VIRUS MENINGO-ENCEPHALITIS: POSSIBLE SEXUAL TRANSMISSION
Roger E Kelley1, Joseph R Berger2, Brian P Kelley3
1Dr. Kelley is Professor and Chairman of Neurology at Tulane University School of Medicine.
Purpose:
We report a previously healthy middle aged woman who developed West Nile virus meningo-encephalitis within two weeks of unprotected vaginal intercourse with her husband.
Subject:
This patient's husband had serologically confirmed West Nile virus infection manifested by a flu-like illness and rash with the sexual contact one day before the onset of his symptoms.
Result:
This well documented neuroinvasive West Nile virus infection in our patient was within the incubation period of transmission and there was no reported mosquito bite exposure.
Conclusion:
The timeframe of infection raises the possibility that her illness was sexually transmitted.
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