Search our Test Catalog. Specify what to search (name, test code, titles, everywhere) and how to search (begins with, contains)

Unit Code 83917:
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Antibody Panel, IgG and IgM, Spinal Fluid

Print Friendly View
Print Page Email Page

Useful For

Aiding the diagnosis of EEE

Clinical Information

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is within the alphavirus group.

It is a low-prevalence cause of human disease in the eastern and

Gulf Coast states. EEE is maintained by a cycle of mosquito/wild

bird transmission, peaking in the summer and early fall, when man

may become an adventitious host. The most common clinically

apparent manifestation is a mild undifferentiated febrile illness,

usually with headache.

 

Central nervous system involvement is demonstrated in only a

minority of infected individuals, and is more abrupt and more severe

than with other arboviruses, with children being more susceptible to

severe disease. Fatality rates are approximately 70%.

 

Infections with arboviruses can occur at any age. The age distribution

depends on the degree of exposure to the particular transmitting

arthropod, relating to age, sex, and occupational, vocational, and

recreational habits of the individuals. Once humans have been

infected, the severity of the host response may be influenced by age.

Reference Values

IgG:  <1:10

IgM:  <1:10

 

Reference values apply to all ages.

Interpretation

A positive result indicates intrathecal synthesis of antibody and is

indicative of neurological infection.

Cautions

All results must be correlated with clinical history and other data

available to the attending physician.

 

False-positive results may be caused by breakdown of the blood-

brain barrier, or by the introduction of blood into the CSF at collection.

 

EEE viruses show some cross-reactivity; however, antibody

response to the infection virus is typically at least 8-fold higher.

Clinical Reference

1.   Gonzalez-Scarano F, Nathanson N:  Bunyaviruses. In Fields

      Virology. Volume 1. 2nd edition. Edited by BM Fields, DM Knipe.

      New York, Raven Press, 1990, pp 1195-1228

     

2.   Donat JF, Rhodes KH, Groover RV, Smith TF:  Etiology and

      outcome in 42 children with acute nonbacterial meningoencephalitis.

      Mayo Clin Proc 1980:55:156-160

 

3.   Tsai TF:  Arboviruses. In Manual of Clinical Microbiology. 7th edition.

      Edited by PR Murray, EF Baron, MA Pfaller, et al. Washington, DC,

      American Society for Microbiology, 1999, pp 1107-1124

 

4.   Calisher CH:  Medically important arboviruses of the United States

      and Canada. Clin Microbiol Rev 1994;7:89-116

Key