Despite common clinical features to suggest encephalitis, different viral encephalitides are known to have some specific clinical features, which if present, may suggest infection by a particular virus. West Nile viral (WNV) encephalitis has not been described with any specific diagnostic feature so far. In this context, we describe three patients of West Nile encephalitis (WNE) who had behavioural and cognitive impairment with acute irreversible bilaterally symmetrical sensorineural deafness. Clinical profiles of these cases suggest that the patients who present with prominent behavioural and cognitive changes and have in addition features of bilateral sensorineural deafness may be considered as the possible case of WNE.
Keywords: CSF West Nile encephalitis/meningo-encephalitis; MRI brain West Nile encephalitis; Sensorineural hearing loss; West Nile virus.