Eurosurveillance, Volume
9, Issue
12,
01 December 2004
Guidelines
Bichat guidelines for the clinical management of viral encephalitis and bioterrorism-related viral encephalitis
P Bossi1, A Tegnell2, A Baka3, F van Loock2, A Werner2, J Hendriks2, H Maidhof2, G Gouvras2
Citation style for this article: Bossi P, Tegnell A, Baka A, van Loock F, Werner A, Hendriks J, Maidhof H, Gouvras G. Bichat guidelines for the clinical management of viral encephalitis and bioterrorism-related viral encephalitis. Euro Surveill. 2004;9(12):pii=509. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=509
Date of submission:
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Philippe Bossi*, Anders Tegnell, Agoritsa Baka, Frank Van Loock, Jan
Hendriks, Albrecht Werner, Heinrich Maidhof, Georgios Gouvras
Task Force on Biological and Chemical Agent Threats, Public Health Directorate,
European Commission, Luxembourg
*Corresponding author: P. Bossi, Pitié-Salpêtrière
Hospital, Paris, France, email: philippe.bossi@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
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Most of the viruses involved in causing encephalitis
are arthropod-borne viruses, with the exception of arenaviruses that
are rodent-borne. Even if little information is available, there are
indications that, most of these encephalitis-associated viruses could
be used by aerosolisation during a bioterrorist attack. Viral transfer
from blood to the CNS through the olfactory tract has been suggested.
Another possible route of contamination is by vector-borne transmission
such as infected mosquitoes or ticks. Alphaviruses are the most likely
candidates for weaponisation. The clinical course of the diseases caused
by these viruses is usually not specific, but differentiation is possible
by using an adequate diagnostic tool. There is no effective drug therapy
for the treatment of these diseases and treatment is mainly supportive,
but vaccines protecting against some of these viruses do exist.
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