Keystone Virus: First Isolation from a Human

Keystone virus, a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus, has been considered endemic in squirrels, raccoons, and whitetail deer for decades, but the virus has not been isolated from humans despite human seropositivity rates of about 20% in the region of Florida where it was first identified.

Now, researchers have reported on a 16-year-old boy seen in north central Florida for complaints of low-grade fever and a diffuse rash. The rash developed centrifugally and was papular but not pruritic or painful. He denied headache, neck stiffness, or gastrointestinal symptoms. Childhood immunization was up-to-date. Vital signs were within normal limits and the rash on trunk, arm, and face resolved spontaneously in 2 days.

Monospot test was negative. …