Encephalitis case surveillance tests for which viruses?

Encephalitis case surveillance tests for which viruses?

• A. WNV, SLE, and WEE
• B. Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya
• C. WNV only
• D. SLE and WEE only

Answer: (A)

Encephalitis case surveillance focuses on mosquito-borne viruses that routinely cause neuroinvasive disease in humans. The standard panel includes West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and Western equine encephalitis virus because these are classic, established causes of encephalitis that surveillance systems monitor across regions. West Nile virus is now the leading arboviral cause of encephalitis in many areas, while St. Louis encephalitis and Western equine encephalitis have long-standing histories of encephalitic outbreaks and distinct geographic patterns. Dengue, Zika, and chikungunya are important mosquito-borne diseases but are not the typical targets for encephalitis-focused surveillance panels in many programs, as their predominant clinical presentations are febrile illnesses, with neuroinvasive disease being less central to routine encephalitis testing. So the viruses tested for encephalitis surveillance are WNV, SLE, and WEE.

Encephalitis case surveillance focuses on mosquito-borne viruses that routinely cause neuroinvasive disease in humans. The standard panel includes West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and Western equine encephalitis virus because these are classic, established causes of encephalitis that surveillance systems monitor across regions. West Nile virus is now the leading arboviral cause of encephalitis in many areas, while St. Louis encephalitis and Western equine encephalitis have long-standing histories of encephalitic outbreaks and distinct geographic patterns. Dengue, Zika, and chikungunya are important mosquito-borne diseases but are not the typical targets for encephalitis-focused surveillance panels in many programs, as their predominant clinical presentations are febrile illnesses, with neuroinvasive disease being less central to routine encephalitis testing. So the viruses tested for encephalitis surveillance are WNV, SLE, and WEE.