- Hello Jeff - Another novel virus emerges. Nam Dinh,
named for the northern province of Viet Nam in which it emerged, is possibly
a flavivirus, emerged during an outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis. Tentatively,
until otherwise confirmed or denied by Study Group of the International
Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses, the virus is thought to be a flavivirus,
possibly in the Japanese Encephalitis group of flaviviruses.
-
- This virus is vectored by mosquitos and it will be interesting
to see if it spreads from Viet Nam to other parts of Asia. ....or how
long it takes to do so.
-
- Patricia Doyle
-
- Date: Thu 8 Jul 2004
From: ProMED-mail
Source: Viet Nam News Agency
Thu 8 Jul 2004
-
- Isolation of a novel arbovirus associated with acute
encephalitis in Viet Nam
-
- The Central Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute identified
a new arbovirus, which causes acute encephalitis, in Vietnamese children.
The virus, [isolated in] a culture from a 20-month-old child in the northern
province of Nam Dinh, is transmitted by mosquitoes. According to Dr. Phan
Thi Nga, head of the institute's Encephalitis Virus Division, the new arbovirus,
named Nam Dinh virus, is as dangerous as Japanese encephalitis virus, which
is also appearing in some northern provinces.
-
- "The virus was found in some patients in Ha Noi
and Ha Tay in 2003, but we do not have a vaccine yet," said Nga. "However,
people should not worry about an epidemic. We only identified the virus
to isolate the disease for study. The new arbovirus appeared in children
in Bac Giang Province in 2004, but there were many more cases of Japanese
encephalitis virus infection," said Nga. Deputy Director of the Central
Pediatrics Hospital Nguyen Van Loc said that the number of children admitted
had dropped, even though the weather in northern provinces remained hot
and muggy, a perfect climate for mosquitoes. Loc said the hospital has
received 240 encephalitis patients since early May 2004. 31 patients died,
and 40 percent were diagnosed with Japanese encephalitis virus infection.
-
- http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/2004-07/07/Stories/14.htm
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- -- ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
-
- The basis for identification of this ence phalitis-associated
virus, as a mosquito-transmitted arbovirus, is not revealed in this report.
Since all members of the family _Flaviviridae_ are serologically related,
it may be that Nam Dinh virus has been identified as a flavivirus by cross-reactivity
with antibodies to another flavivirus, such as Japanese encephalitis virus,
in ELISA or hemagglutination-inhibition binding assays. On the basis of
the information contained in this report, it is equally possible that this
isolate is a variant of Japanese encephalitis virus, a novel flavivirus,
or, a virus belonging to a taxonomically-distinct group of arthropod-transmitted
viruses. However, there are several other possibilities, and further information
is awaited to authenticate this claim. Furthermore, the name Nam Dinh virus
must be regarded as provisional until considered, and approved, by a relevant
Study Group of the International Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses. - Mod.CP
-
- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my "Emerging
Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?
Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
Go with God and in Good Health
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