Prospective Investigation of Oxidative Stress in West Nile Virus Infection

Prospective Investigation of Oxidative Stress in West Nile Virus Infection

The investigator hypothesizes that oxidative stress responses to West Nile virus infection in the central nervous system determine the severity of infection and the long-term neurological, neuropsychological and functional sequelae of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Willing and able to provide written informed consent. If the clinical condition of the patient does not permit giving consent, informed consent will be obtained from the next of kin.
• Age 18 years or older
• for active cases: positive anti-WNV IGM antibodies in serum (or IgG in CSF if applicable)
• for active cases: presentation within (maximum) 7days of symptom onset
• for healthy controls: anti-WNV antibody naive (IgM and IgG in serum). The group of healthy controls will be selected to have an age similar distribution to the cases.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Evidence of active systemic infection in 3 months prior to recruitment
• Evidence of systemic inflammatory illness
• Clinical signs of neurodegenerative or neurologic disease other than WNND
• Pregnancy
• Active malignancy
• History of drug abuse