How c a n p eop le
red uc e the c ha nc e
of g etting infec ted ?
Avoid Mosquito Bites
Make sure windows and doors are ?bug
tight.? Repair or replace screens.
Stay indoors at dawn and dusk, if
possible, when mosquitoes are most
active.
Wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and
a hat when going into mosquito infested
areas, such as wetlands or woods.
Use mosquito repellent when necessary.
Read the label and carefully follow the
instructions. Take special care when
using repellent on children.
Change the water in your birdbaths,
fountains, wading pools, and animal
troughs at least twice a week.
Change the water in your birdbaths,
fountains, wading pools, and animal
troughs at least twice a week.
Recycle unused containers that can
collect water? bottles, cans, and
buckets.
Make sure roof gutters drain properly;
and clean clogged gutters in the spring
and fall.
Fix leaky outdoor faucets and
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West Nile virus can
cause febrile illness, encephalitis
(inflammation of the brain) or meningitis
(inflammation of the lining of the brain
and spinal cord).
Most people who are infected with West
Nile virus will not get sick. About 1 in 5
people infected will have mild symptoms
such as fever, headache, and body aches.
Even fewer, about 1 in 150 people
infected, will have more severe
symptoms. Severe symptoms may
include headache, high fever, neck
stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremors,
convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis,
and coma. If you have any of these
symptoms, contact your health care
provider.
There are no medications to treat or
vaccines to prevent West Nile virus
infection. Over-the-counter pain relievers
can be used to reduce fever and relieve
some symptoms.
How is West Nile virus
disea se dia gnosed?
Vector a nd a nima l hosts
It was first isolated in a woman in the West
Nile district of Uganda in 1937. It was
identified in birds (crows and
columbiformes) in Nile delta region in
1953.
How do people get infected
with West Nile virus?
Most people get infected with West Nile
virus by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Mosquitoes become infected when they
feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes
can then spread the virus to humans and
other animals.
Diagnosis is based on a combination of
clinical signs and symptoms and
specialized laboratory tests of blood or
spinal fluid. These tests typically detect
antibodies that the immune system makes
against the viral infection.
People with milder symptoms typically
recover on their own, although some
symptoms may last for several weeks.
In more severe cases, patients often need to
be hospitalized to receive supportive
treatment, such as intravenous fluids, pain
medication, and nursing care.
WNV is maintained in nature in a
mosquito-bird-mosquito transmission
cycle. Mosquitoes of the genus Culex are
generally considered the principal vectors
of WNV, in particular Cx. Pipiens. WNV is
maintained in mosquito populations
through vertical transmission (adults to
eggs).
