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September 25, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"West Nile Can Paralyze Some Patients, Reports Say"
Reuters (www.reuters.com) (09/23/02); Fox, Maggie
Researchers reported Monday that infection with the West Nile virus can cause symptoms similar to polio. In letters published early by the New England Journal of Medicine, two teams of doctors report four cases in which patients with varying symptoms became partially paralyzed and were found to have West Nile virus infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently warned physicians to be alert for strange symptoms in patients who come in with symptoms of a viral infection. The CDC's Dr. Jim Sejvar noted that the West Nile-related paralysis appears to affect one side of the body, and he said that physicians should consider testing for West Nile virus before initiating therapy for conditions like Guillain-Barre syndrome.
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