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West Nile virus infection in bone marrow transplant patients

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 34, pages 823–824 (2004)Cite this article

West Nile virus (WNV) infection was first recognized in the United States in 1999 and is known to be a potentially lethal disease.1 Humans are infected by mosquitoes, but the virus can also be transmitted through organ transplantation and blood transfusions.2 Disease presentation in humans ranges from a mild, self-limited influenza-like picture to severe neurological illnesses.

Risk factors for severe disease are older age, and possibly immunosuppression.3 We describe three BMT patients with WNV infection, demonstrating the variable disease manifestations. All three patients were seen in summer 2003 during a WNV outbreak in Colorado. None of the patients had recently received blood products, suggesting mosquito bites in the community as the most likely source of infection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA

    K B Robertson & M A Barron

  2. Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA

    Y Nieto

Authors
  1. K B Robertson
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  2. M A Barron
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  3. Y Nieto
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Robertson, K., Barron, M. & Nieto, Y. West Nile virus infection in bone marrow transplant patients. Bone Marrow Transplant 34, 823–824 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704684

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704684

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