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Editing West nile virus historical perspective

# Overview
WNV was first isolated in 1937 in Uganda from a hospitalized patient who presented with isolated fever. Between 1950 and 1960, small villages in the Mediterranean basin had repeated outbreaks, especially in Israel and Egypt. These outbreaks allowed researchers to study the molecular and clinical features of the disease and further understand its mode of transmission and natural history. Several WNV outbreaks were recorded in the second half of the 20th century in Europe, Middle East, Far East, and Africa. It was not until 1999 when the first WNV outbreak was documented in USA, making WNV a worldwide infection. Perhaps the most severe outbreak documented was in 2002 in USA, recording the highest number of meningoencephalitis from a single WNV outbreak. The first description of a person-to-person transmission was reported in 2002 among patients with blood transfusions and tissue transplantation.

# Discovery
WNV was first discovered following its isolation in 1937 from a hospitalized patient presenting with isolated fever in the West Nile district of Northern Uganda. Initial reports described a virus whose physical and pathological characteristics resemble that of  St. Louis encephalitis virus and Japanese B encephalitis virus. Early studies noted the frequent involvement of the CNS among infected patients, suggesting neurotropism of the virus. It was not until the 1950-1960 Mediterranean basin outbreaks in small towns that clinical and pathological features of West Nile virus were really revealed.

# Famous outbreaks
The first epidemic was documented in 1951 in Isreal, when Bernkopf and colleagues isolated WNV among 123 cases. Further understanding of the viral pattern, mode of transmission, and pathogenesis was conducted by studies in 1951-1954 following outbreaks in Cairo, Egypt. The first report of neurological sequelae following WNV infection was documented in 1957 during an outbreak in Israel. Other outbreaks in other regions, such as Europe, India, South Africa, were later described in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1996, an outbreak of WNV in Romania in Europe spiraled a series of outbreaks in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe region. Unlike early reports that mostly included children, these outbreaks unveiled adult preponderance and an increased rate of CNS complications associated with the disease.
In 1999, the first outbreak in USA initially described 8 cases, most of which had neurological symptoms, in Queens, New York City. The 1999 outbreak in USA finally marked the global spread of the virus. The outbreak eventually infected a total of 62 individuals, whose symptoms were mostly severe and necessitated hospitalization. Although initially believed to be caused by an endemic arbovirus, WNV was eventually demonstrated to be the agent responsible for the outbreak after the discovery of a coinciding outbreak among infected birds within the same geographical region and during the same time frame Only 3 years after its documented presence in USA, the clinically most severe WNV outbreak occurred in North America in 2002, where the largest number of meningoencephalitis from a single outbreak was recorded. In the same year, the first human-to-human transmission was discovered; it was attributed to transmission via blood transfusion and tissue transplantation.

# Development of diagnostic and treatment strategies
- The first WNV MAC-ELISA-based commercial diagnostic test for arboviruses was also developed and later commercialized to assays that may be used in the field.
- Following the 1999 outbreak in USA, the first animal vaccine was developed and later approved by the U.S. department of agriculture (USDA). The WNV-DNA virus is considered the only USDA-approved vaccine.

# Impact on cultural history
- The 1999 outbreak in New York in USA drove the Center of Disease Control (CDC) to fund its own Zoo Surveillance Program at Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine. During the outbreak, CDC assigned other channels to test infected bird species that might help in identifying the virus. The delay in diagnosis was presumed to be a significant element for the outbreak's detrimental outcomes.
- Following the 1999 outbreak, WNV was considered a nationally reportable disease in USA. Annual meetings were held in USA to provide public health information about WNV, and guidelines for surveillance, prevention, and control of WNV were developed and frequently updated.
- ArboNET, a real-time disease reporting network developed by CDC, was first launched in 2000 after the 1999 outbreak to follow WNV disease in humans and animals.
- Funding to the CDC - Enhanced Laboratory Capacity (ELC) cooperative agreement program reached $2.7 million dollars in 2000. In a few years, the program's funding was higher than $20 million dollars. Grants were utilized to train arbovirologists and to fund research programs, lab diagnosis, and surveillance programs.