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. 2020 Nov;25(46):2001786.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.2001786.

Autochthonous West Nile virus infection outbreak in humans, Leipzig, Germany, August to September 2020

Corinna Pietsch  1 , Dominik Michalski  2 , Johannes Münch  3 , Sirak Petros  4 , Sandra Bergs  1 , Henning Trawinski  5 , Christoph Lübbert  5 , Uwe G Liebert  1
Affiliations

Autochthonous West Nile virus infection outbreak in humans, Leipzig, Germany, August to September 2020

Corinna Pietsch et al. Euro Surveill. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Following a distinct summer heat wave, nine autochthonous cases of West Nile fever and West Nile neuroinvasive disease, including one fatality, were observed in Leipzig, Germany, in August and September 2020. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated close relationships in viruses from humans, animals and mosquitos in eastern Germany, obtained during the preceding 2 years. The described large cluster of autochthonous West Nile virus infections in Germany indicates endemic seasonal circulation of lineage 2 viruses in the area.

Keywords: Outbreak; Viral encephalitis; West Nile fever; West Nile neuroinvasive disease; arboviruses; zoonoses.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Phylogenetic analysis of almost complete WNV lineage 2 genomes (11,005 nt)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Temperatures and precipitation in the city of Leipzig, June–September 2020
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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