An arbovirus? (Was Re: Strange virus??)

[Steven Poet]

Naveed Panjwani <n.panjwani at lshtm.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> LLV95MPN at lustudat.student.lu.se (Mikael Nicolaidis) wrote:
> >
> > Hi! 
> > 
> > He're in southern Sweden we lately have had a lot of cases of a very quick
> > infecion with flu-like symptoms.
> > The first symptoms usually include stomach illness, with vomating or
> > diarréa then associated symptoms with fever and pain in all major joints
> > and even a few neurological sensations.
> > Onset is sudden and fever and pain usually sets in 3-4 hours later.
> > Most people are well and kicking after 48h or less.
> > 
> > Any ideas???
> > 
> > Maybe it's not that strange??
> > 
> 
> General febrile illness, joint pain (esp backache), 
> and particularly CNS involvement and neurological symptoms are
> indicative also of togaviral or flaviviral mosquito/tick borne viral 
> infections. I can't remember exactly now, but I know Chickungunya
> virus and Onyong nyong virus are endemic in Africa and cause a severe
> version of what you describe above.
> 
> West and Northern European counterparts exist, look them up.
> If CNS involvement is pronounced, this could be from one of the 
> equine encephalitis virus that pathogenise humans.
> 
> Just my 2 rupees worth...
> 
> Naveed Panjwani, 
> London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Intestinal signs would indicate an enteric virus such as one of the Norwalk-like viruses.

Norwalk viruses are a major cause of adult non-bacterial gastroenteritis.