West Nile fever is a disease caused by West Nile Virus (WNV), and belongs to the hemorrhagic fever. The virus is carried by birds, but it is transmitted to humans via mosquitoes. Where and how can you catch West Nile fever? What is the course of the disease? How is West Nile fever treated?

West Nile Feveris an acute viral disease caused by West Nile Virus (WNV) and belongs to the genusFlavivirusof the Flaviviridae family. This virus is present in the countries of West Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East and in North America, where the incidence has increased significantly in recent years. The West Nile virus that causes it is dangerous when mosquitoes are active, which means that in our climate zone, the virus threat increases in late summer and early fall. In the warm zone, the disease is dangerous all year round.

The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, but vertical WNV infection can spread to the fetus. There have also been reports of viral transmission during blood transfusion and transplantation, and laboratory infections.

West Nile Fever: Symptoms

West Nile virus disease develops by only 20 percent of those infected. Usually it is very mild or asymptomatic. Symptoms appear 3 to 14 days after infection and are similar to those of the flu:

  • fever
  • headache
  • muscle pain
  • light rash sometimes
  • lymph nodes enlargement
  • sometimes nausea and vomiting

The disease is self-limiting, and in its mild form, no specific treatment is applied.

When is West Nile virus dangerous?

West Nile fever can be very violent, however.

If in Poland, during the mosquito season, or after returning from countries where they roam all year round (e.g. the tropics), we have disturbing symptoms - it is necessary to see a doctor.

If an infected person becomes weakened by other diseases, suffers from decreased immunity caused by disease, stress or malnutrition, the virus multiplies intensively and causes serious complications, such as:

  • myocarditis
  • inflammationpancreas
  • acute hepatitis
  • aseptic meningitis
  • myelitis
  • compression of the cranial nerves
  • paraliż
  • memory loss

In addition to flu-like symptoms, they should be alarming:

  • very high fever
  • neck stiffness
  • disturbance of consciousness
  • confusion
  • muscle weakness
  • trembling like Parkinson's disease
  • convulsions

How to recognize West Nile fever?

Diagnosis can only be made by a doctor, based on the patient's observation. If we come back from abroad, especially from the regions of warm climate, he must be informed about it. The diagnosis can be confirmed by serological, molecular and / or viral isolation in culture, histopathology, serum or organ antigens by enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) methods.

West Nile fever: treatment

In severe cases of West Nile fever, hospitalization is necessary, prevention of secondary infections (pneumonia, urinary tract inflammation) and treatment of complications. Unfortunately, in severe cases, up to 35 percent of those hospitalized for West Nile fever die.

There is currently no effective treatment for West Nile fever.

The increase in West Nile fever and the spread of the disease has prompted scientists to work hard to discover a vaccine or cure for the disease. Scientists at Yale University have discovered an enzyme, naturally occurring in humans, that stimulates the immune system to destroy the WNV virus. Work is underway to use this discovery to develop treatments for West Nile fever.

Worth knowing

West Nile virus was first isolated in 1937 in northwestern Uganda. Until the mid-1990s, few cases of the disease were recorded in Africa, West Asia and the Middle East. In later years, the incidence and severity of the disease increased, epidemics occurred in Romania (1996), Russia (1999) and Israel (2000), and since 1999, cases have also been reported in North America.

Category:

Infectious diseases