Rare case of West Nile virus hemorrhagic fever in U.S.

A report in the June 1, 2006, issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases details the death of a previously healthy 59-year-old Florida man from hemorrhagic fever caused by West Nile virus. Physicians treating the man were suprised when a cell culture showed West Nile virus, since the virus usually causes only a mild illness. Even severe cases of West Nile usually result in encephalitis or meningitis, not hemorrhagic symptoms. It is unclear why this man had such unusual symptoms, but investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note that this is a rare case, and individuals exposed to West Nile virus are unlikely to have a similar reaction.