Guillain–Barré Syndrome Secondary to West Nile Virus in New York City

• Published in: Case reports in infectious diseases Vol. 2020; no. 2020; pp. 1 - 4
• Main Authors: Beshai, Rafail, Bibawy, Joseph, Bibawy, Daniel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 26-07-2020; Hindawi; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Blood; Case Report; Case reports; Development and progression; Disease transmission; Emergency medical care; Encephalitis; Guillain-Barre syndrome; Health aspects; Herpes viruses; Hospitals; Immunotherapy; Infections; Meningitis; Mosquitoes; Patients; Pneumonia; Serology; West Nile fever; West Nile virus; United States > US; North America
• ISSN: 2090-6625; 2090-6633
• DOI: 10.1155/2020/6501658

West Nile virus (WNV) is an arthropod-borne flavivirus belonging taxonomically to the Japanese encephalitis subgroup. Usually, it is transmitted by Culex pipiens mosquitoes. Consequently, an increase in WNV-positive mosquitoes presents a rise of the number of patients, as it has been seen in NYC. We present a 65-year-old patient with WNV infection who presented with Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS). She had a rapidly progressing ascending paralysis, a common feature in GBS patients but an uncommon presentation in WNV. Realizing WNV as an emerging pathogen along with its uncommon presentation of GBS can be potentially lifesaving if caught at an early stage.