Expanding the Differential During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Fatal West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease

J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 May-Jun;34(3):661-662. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.03.200630.

Abstract

The ever-evolving pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has the potential to drown out other viruses continuing to infect communities. To highlight this, we present 2 cases of fatal West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease that occurred within 2 weeks of each other. Since the first positive case of West Nile virus in the United States, there have been 2 epidemics in the past 2 decades, most often occurring in regions of North Texas and Southern California, which have been areas of high-incidence for COVID-19. It is important for the health care provider to recognize diagnostic biases and maintain broad differentials for the patient presenting with fever and other symptoms associated with COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; California; Communicable Diseases; Family Medicine; Hospitalists; Pandemics; Texas; West Nile Virus.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19* / diagnosis
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • California / epidemiology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Pandemics
  • Texas / epidemiology
  • West Nile Fever* / diagnosis
  • West Nile Fever* / epidemiology