Venezuelan equine encephalitis and 2 human deaths, Peru

Stalin Vilcarromero; Patricia V Aguilar; Eric S Halsey; V Alberto Laguna-Torres; Hugo Razuri; Juan Perez; Yadira Valderrama; Eduardo Gotuzzo; Luis Suarez; Manuel Cespedes; Tadeusz J Kochel

doi:10.3201/eid1603.090970

Venezuelan equine encephalitis and 2 human deaths, Peru

Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Mar;16(3):553-6. doi: 10.3201/eid1603.090970.

Authors

Stalin Vilcarromero¹, Patricia V Aguilar, Eric S Halsey, V Alberto Laguna-Torres, Hugo Razuri, Juan Perez, Yadira Valderrama, Eduardo Gotuzzo, Luis Suarez, Manuel Cespedes, Tadeusz J Kochel

Affiliation

¹ Naval Medical Research Center Detachment, Lima, Peru.

Abstract

Studies have suggested that enzootic strains of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) subtype ID in the Amazon region, Peru, may be less pathogenic to humans than are epizootic variants. Deaths of 2 persons with evidence of acute VEE virus infection indicate that fatal VEEV infection in Peru is likely. Cases may remain underreported.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Acute Disease
Adult
Animals
Child
Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / classification
Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / genetics
Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / isolation & purification*
Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / mortality*
Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / virology
Fatal Outcome
Female
Humans
Male
Peru / epidemiology
Phylogeny
Sequence Analysis, DNA