Case Series of Jamestown Canyon Virus Infections with Neurologic Outcomes, Canada, 2011-2016

Abstract

Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) is a mosquitoborne orthobunyavirus in the California serogroup that circulates throughout Canada and the United States. Most JCV exposures result in asymptomatic infection or a mild febrile illness, but JCV can also cause neurologic diseases, such as meningitis and encephalitis. We describe a case series of confirmed JCV-mediated neuroinvasive disease among persons from the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia, Canada, during 2011-2016. We highlight the case definitions, epidemiology, unique features and clinical manifestations, disease seasonality, and outcomes for those cases. Two of the patients (from Quebec and Nova Scotia) might have acquired JCV infections during travel to the northeastern region of the United States. This case series collectively demonstrates JCV's wide distribution and indicates the need for increased awareness of JCV as the underlying cause of meningitis/meningoencephalitis during mosquito season.

Keywords: California serogroup viruses; Canada; JCV; Jamestown Canyon virus; arboviral encephalitis; arboviruses; meningitis/encephalitis; mosquito-borne viruses; vector-borne infections; viruses; zoonoses.

Figure

Regions of potential virus exposure in case series of Jamestown Canyon virus infections with neurologic outcomes, Canada, 2011–2016. Red stars indicate regions reported by each symptomatic patient with JCV infection across Canada (yellow area) and northeastern United States (gray area). Numbers indicate the number of case-patients residing in specific provinces of Canada. Some case-patients reported >1 potential exposure sites. Image was adapted from Wikipedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org). AB, Alberta; BC, British Columbia; MB, Manitoba; ME, Maine; NB, New Brunswick; NH, New Hampshire; NJ, New Jersey; NL, Newfoundland and Labrador; NS, Nova Scotia; NT, Northwest Territories; NU, Nunavut; ON, Ontario; PA, Pennsylvania; PE, Prince Edward Island; QC, Quebec; SK, Saskatchewan; YT, Yukon.