Previous studies in mice identified the Oas1b gene, a member of the OAS/RNASEL innate immune system, as a determining factor for resistance to West Nile virus (WNV) infection.
We sequenced each exon within all OAS and RNASEL genes in 33 individuals hospitalized with WNV infection in Houston to assess if there is a defect in this system in patients with severe WNV disease.