Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging arbovirus, close to the West Nile virus (WNV), which was first isolated in South Africa in 1959. This flavivirus has spread to a large part of the European continent, causing bird deaths, particularly in 2018. Although human infection seems to be mostly asymptomatic, several cases of neurological complications (encephalitis, meningoencephalitis) have been described. The description in Montpellier of an atypical case of Bell's palsy suggests that the clinical spectrum of USUV-related infections may be more extensive than expected and highlights our limited knowledge of the pathophysiology of this emerging virus.
Keywords: Arbovirus; Usutu virus; flavivirus.