St. Louis encephalitis

Classification according to ICD-10
A83.3	St. Louis encephalitis
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

The Saint Louis encephalitis , including encephalitis St. Louis , is one of the most common by arboviruses triggered disease in North America and is also of travel medical importance.

Pathogen

St. Louis Encephalitis Virus
SLE virus in the salivary gland of a mosquito
Systematics
Classification : Viruses Area : Riboviria Empire : Orthornavirae Phylum : Kitrinoviricota Class : Flasuviricetes Order : Amarillovirales Family : Flaviviridae Genre : Flavivirus Type : St. Louis Encephalitis Virus
Taxonomic characteristics
Genome : (+) ssRNA linear Baltimore : Group 4 Symmetry : icosahedral Cover : available
Scientific name
Saint Louis encephalitis virus
Short name
SLEV
Left
NCBI  Taxonomy: 11080

St. Louis encephalitis is caused by viruses of the species St. Louis encephalitis virus ( scientifically Saint Louis encephalitis virus , SLEV). The enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus with positive polarity belongs to the genus Flavivirus , family Flaviviridae .

transmission

The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes (genus Culex and species Stegomyia albopicta ). During a blood meal on an infected animal, the mosquitoes ingest the virus and can later transmit it to humans or animals by biting again. Birds and bats are animal reservoirs . Humans are just a false host , there is no human-to-human transmission.

Occurrence

Endemic areas in the USA are the Ohio-Mississippi Basin , Texas , Florida , Colorado and California , as well as Jamaica . The virus is also endemic in Canada , Central and South America , but has probably not triggered any epidemics there . Transmission takes place most frequently between July and October, depending on the mosquito's life cycle.

clinic

In most cases the disease is inapparent and has no consequences. However, after an incubation period of a few days, 1–5% of those infected suddenly develop a high fever , accompanied by headache and body aches, photophobia and dizziness . This can lead to neurological symptoms , especially in older people : meningitis or encephalitis . The recovery can take weeks and months, are also possible permanent neurological deficits such. B. Gait and speech disorders. The lethality can be up to 20%.

therapy

There is no specific therapy or vaccination . Protection against mosquito bites is therefore recommended for travelers to endemic areas: repellants , mosquito nets , light-colored, long clothing, avoiding outside stays during and after dusk.

Web links

• E. Mylonakis: St. Louis Encephalitis www.emedicine.com, version dated June 26, 2006

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ICTV Master Species List 2018b.v2 . MSL # 34, March 2019
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} ICTV: ICTV Taxonomy history: Yellow fever virus , EC 51, Berlin, Germany, July 2019; Email ratification March 2020 (MSL # 35)

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !