Neuroinvasive forms of West Nile fever in children in the Republic of Crimea: analysis of clinical cases

West Nile fever (WNF) is a zoonotic natural focal arbovirus infection with a transmissible mechanism of pathogen transmission. The carriers of the disease are mosquitoes, the main reservoir is birds. In the period 2023—2024, an increase in the registration of WNF was noted in the Russian Federation, and the most intensive spread was registered in the Southern Federal District (SFD) because of significant climate warming. The aim: to demonstrate clinical cases of WNF in 3 children with a neuroinvasive form of the disease in the form of viral meningitis. Results. All patients are residents of Crimea, were hospitalized in the summer. Clinical manifestations included fever, weakness, headache and positive meningeal signs. The disease was severe in 2 patients, moderate in 1 patient. The diagnosis was based on the detection of IgM antibodies to the WNF virus in the blood serum. All patients recovered from the disease. Conclusion. WNF has no specific clinical and laboratory signs, therefore in the Republic of Crimea in the summer, when the carrier of the infection is especially active, screening for this infection should become routine procedure in children with signs of viral meningitis.