mercaptopurine and West-Nile-Fever

West Nile Virus (WNV) infection is an important cause of encephalitis. Although the medical literature contains examples of WNV encephalitis in susceptible, mainly elderly, immunocompromised hosts, few case reports have described pediatric cases. The authors describe an adolescent with acute lymphocytic leukemia and WNV encephalitis. Surveillance studies indicate an increase in WNV activity. Physicians need to be aware of WNV activity in their community and consider WNV as a potential source of infection.

Topics: Acyclovir; Adolescent; Animals; Antibodies, Viral; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Antiviral Agents; Brain; Ceftazidime; Ceftriaxone; Culicidae; Diagnosis, Differential; Encephalitis, Viral; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Insect Bites and Stings; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mercaptopurine; North Carolina; Persistent Vegetative State; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Prednisone; Vancomycin; Vincristine; Virginia; West Nile Fever; West Nile virus