Clinical and neuropathological features of West Nile virus equine encephalomyelitis in Italy
Clinical and neuropathological features of West Nile virus equine encephalomyelitis in Italy
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DOI：
10.2746/042516400777612080
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发表时间：
2000-01-01
影响因子：
2.2
通讯作者：
Arispici, M
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Cantile, C;Di Guardo, G;Arispici, M
西尼罗河病毒（WN）感染是一种蚊媒黄病毒病，在非洲和亚洲流行。临床疾病通常是罕见的和温和的，只有在少数情况下，感染引起脑脊髓炎的马，发烧和脑膜脑炎的人。我们在这里报告的临床和病理发现流行病涉及14匹马从托斯卡纳，意大利。所有病例均于1998年8月至10月观察，受影响的马表现为共济失调，后肢无力轻瘫，6例在2至9天内出现轻瘫进展为四肢瘫痪和躺卧。8只动物恢复，无任何严重后果。血清学：调查显示，十四匹马对WN病毒均呈阳性反应，而该病毒是从一匹受感染马的小脑及脊髓中分离出来。对6匹马进行了尸检。神经病理学模式为轻度至中度、非化脓性脊髓灰质炎脑脊髓炎，持续累及胸和腰脊髓腹角，在某些病例中还可见局灶性神经胶质增生和出血。与其他马病毒性脑脊髓炎的鉴别诊断进行了讨论。发生疫情的地理区域的气候和环境特征表明，存在适合疾病发展的条件。这是在意大利首次报道WN病毒性马脑脊髓炎。
West Nile (WN) virus infection is a mosquito-borne flavivirosis endemic in Africa and Asia. Clinical disease is usually rare and mild and only in a few cases the infection causes encephalomyelitis in horses, fever and meningoencephalitis in man. We report here the clinical and pathological findings in an epidemic of the disease involving 14 horses from Tuscany, Italy. All cases were observed from August to October 1998, Affected horses showed ataxia, weakness paresis of the hindlimbs and, in 6 cases, there was paraparesis progressing to tetraplegia and recumbency within 2 to 9 days. Eight animals recovered without any important consequences. Serological: investigations revealed positivity to WN virus in all the 14 horses and the agent was isolated from the cerebellum and spinal cord of an affected horse. Postmortem examination was carried out on 6 horses. The neuropathological pattern was that of a mild to moderate, nonsuppurative polioencephalomyelitis with constant involvement of the ventral horns of the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord, where focal gliosis and haemorrhage were also apparent in some cases. Differential diagnoses with other equine viral encephalomyelitides are discussed. Climatological and environmental characteristics of the geographic area in which the outbreaks occurred suggest the existence of suitable conditions for the development of the disease. This is the first report of WN virus equine encephalomyelitis in Italy.