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Article: WNV: where in the world did that come from?(Clinical Issues)(West Nile virus)
- Article from:
- Medical Laboratory Observer
- Article date:
- May 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Nelson Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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West Nile virus (WNV) is a member of the flavivirus family, which includes agents that cause such important diseases as yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever, St. Louis encephalitis, and Central European encephalitis. The flaviviruses are one of the most important of the arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), with the mosquito being the arthropod vector for a number of these viruses, including WNV.
The flaviviruses occupy a special place in the history of both human disease and the advancement of our understanding of viral infection. For example, the yellow fever virus was the first "filterable" agent shown to cause human disease. Further, ...