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West Nile Virus

HEALTH ADVISORY TO LICENSED CLINICAL PROVIDERS

Date: 5/31/06

2006 Season (June—October) Reminder

Report Cases and Order Specimens to State Lab for Arbovirus /WNV Surveillance Testing

2005: PHYSICIAN REPORTING CRITERIA FOR WNV:

All licensed physicians, certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants are expected to report by phone (222 2577), or fax (222 2488) or mail on suspicion of diagnosis in any patient they are attending with a clinical diagnosis of:

• Viral encephalitis (any age), or
• Aseptic or suspect viral meningitis (CSF pleocytosis of 10 cells or more) in persons age 17 years or greater.
• Guillain - Barré syndrome.

Also please write orders to have an aliquot of CSF (1ml) and serum (3ml) sent to the State Lab for arboviral testing. All RI licensed hospital and commercial labs have systems in place to handle and transport such specimens on your patients, and are also being alerted to this policy.

A nurse from the Office of Communicable Diseases will track specimens from cases (CSF, acute and convalescent sera) and assure transfer to the State Lab. Free testing will be done at the State Lab for patients meeting the above criteria. Positive results on the arbovirus panel testing result (IgM on serum and/or CSF) will be communicated by phone to the ordering physician in 5 days.

For current disease control information on WNV please see: http://www.health.ri.gov/topics/wnv.php OR call 222 2577