B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1) is a zoonotic agent that can cause fatal encephalomyelitis in humans. The virus naturally infects macaque monkeys, resulting in disease that is similar to herpes simplex virus infection in humans. Although B virus infection generally is asymptomatic or mild in macaques, it can be fatal in humans. Previously reported cases of B virus disease in humans usually have been attributed to animal bites, scratches, or percutaneous inoculation with infected materials; however, the first fatal case of B virus infection due to mucosal splash exposure was reported in 1998. This case prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, Georgia) to convene a working group in 1999 to reconsider the prior recommendations for prevention and treatment of B virus exposure. The present report updates previous recommendations for the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of B virus infection in humans and considers the role of newer antiviral agents in postexposure prophylaxis.
Dr. Jeffrey I. Cohen, Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, Building 10, Room 11N228, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC 1888, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
CODEN
CIDIEL
Publication Date
20021115
Document Type
Journal Article
Email Address
jcohen@niaid.nih.gov
Fiscal Year
2003
Issue of Publication
10
ISSN
1058-4838
NIOSH Division
OD
Priority Area
Disease and Injury: Infectious Diseases
Source Name
Clinical Infectious Diseases: An Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
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