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Rebecca Voelker

JAMA. 2008;299(18):2135-2136.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Atlanta—Since 1999, when West Nile virus caused an epidemic in New York City, the virus has heeded an old adage for growth and opportunity: go West.

In less than a decade, the virus has spread across the country, becoming endemic in the United States. The virus' rapid spread has given researchers little time to evaluate the infection's long-term complications. But findings from new studies presented here during the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in March reveal a course of illness that, for some patients, is characterized by substantial and long-lasting cognitive and functional impairments.

Some patients infected with West Nile virus experience substantial and long-lasting cognitive and functional impairments. (Photo credit: Cynthia Goldsmith/CDC)

While other arthropod-borne infections that cause encephalitis can result in severe long-term complications, they are relatively rare and occur in clusters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about half . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RECOVERY IN FIRST YEAR