Volume 13, Number 3—March 2007
Dispatch
Depression after Infection with West Nile Virus1
Kristy O. Murray*
, Melissa Resnick*, and Vicki Miller*
, Melissa Resnick*, and Vicki Miller*
Table
Subjective and objective measurements of depression and personality changes 1 year after clinical illness from WNV infection*
| All patients (%) | West Nile encephalitis |
West Nile meningitis/
West Nile fever |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male (%) | Female (%) | Male (%) | Female (%) | ||
| Measurements | |||||
| New onset depression since WNV | 20/65 (31) | 8/27 (30) | 5/11 (45) | 2/12 (17) | 5/15 (33) |
| Mean CES-D score for those reporting depression (range) | 22 (0–44) | 17 (7–30) | 23 (0–37) | 38 (32–43) | 22 (0–44) |
| CES-D score ≥15 | 15/20 (75) | 5/8 (63) | 4/5 (80) | 2/2 (100) | 4/5 (80) |
| Taking antidepressants | 7/20 (35) | 3/8 (38) | 1/5 (20) | 1/2 (50) | 2/5 (40) |
| Report antidepressants helping with symptoms | 4/7 (57) | 2/3 (67) | 1/1 (100) | 0/1 (0) | 1/2 (50) |
| Receiving counseling | 2/20 (10) | 0/8 (0) | 1/5 (20) | 1/2 (50) | 0/5 (0) |
| Report counseling helping with symptoms | 2/2 (100) | 0 | 1/1 (100) | 1/1 (100) | 0 |
| Personality change since WNV | 29/65 (45) | 12/27 (44) | 6/11 (55) | 4/12 (33) | 7/15 (47) |
| Anger/irritability/aggression | 19/29 (66) | 8/12 (67) | 4/6 (67) | 3/4 (75) | 4/7 (57) |
| Decreased socialization | 8/29 (28) | 3/12 (25) | 1/6 (17) | 1/4 (25) | 3/7 (43) |
| Increased sensitivity/cries easily | 3/29 (10) | 0/12 (0) | 1/6 (17) | 0/4 (0) | 2/7 (29) |
| Feelings of hopelessness | 1/29 (3) | 1/12 (8) | 0/6 (0) | 0/4 (0) | 0/7 (0) |
*WNV, West Nile virus; CES-D, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression.
1A portion of this study was presented by K. Murray at the 2006 National West Nile Virus Conference in San Francisco, California.
Page created: June 29, 2010
Page updated: June 29, 2010
Page reviewed: June 29, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.