To identify human illness caused by West Nile Virus (WNV) in New Jersey,
the New Jersey medical care community is requested to report immediately
to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) by telephone
(609-588-3121 or 7500) any patients with the following syndromes:
-
Any adult or pediatric hospitalized patient with a clinical syndrome
and laboratory findings that characterize the majority of cases of
WNV encephalitis seen previously:
- Fever equal to or greater than 38°C or 100° F, AND
- Neurological symptoms (headache, altered mental status, stiff
neck, photophobia) AND
- CSF pleocytosis with predominant lymphocytes and moderately elevated
protein WITH OR WITHOUT
- Muscle weakness (especially flaccid paralysis) confirmed by neurologic
exam or EMG.
OR
- Any hospitalized adult or pediatric patient with a presumptive
diagnosis of viral encephalitis.
OR
- Any hospitalized adult or pediatric patient admitted with
presumed Guillain-Barre Syndrome or acute flaccid paralysis.
OR
- Any patient 17 years of age or older with presumptive aseptic meningitis
(fever, headache, stiff neck and/or other meningeal signs) AND
CSF results consistent with viral infection (pleocytosis with predominant
lymphocytes and moderately elevated protein, and a negative gram stain
and culture to date).
| The
NJDHSS Public Health and Environmental Laboratory (PHEL) will perform
WNV IgM testing by ELISA on sera and cerebrospinal fluid specimens
from patients who meet the above criteria. |
- Acute sera specimens should be collected at least eight (8)
days post onset of symptoms.
- Convalescent sera specimens should be taken two (2) – three
(3) weeks after acute sample was collected.
- SF specimens should be collected within 8 days post onset
of symptoms.
- Testing of each specimen may take up to two weeks
from time of receipt at the PHEL.
- Some specimens may require further confirmatory tests at the CDC,
which may cause further delay in reporting final test results.
*NOTE:If the acute serum sample is taken prior
to eight (8) days after symptom onset, antibodies may not have had time
to develop and a false negative report may result. We will require convalescent
samples on all patients whose acute samples are drawn prior to eight (8)
days post-symptom onset.
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