What You Should Know About West Nile Virus by Becky Sisk

Article Title: What You Should Know About West Nile Virus

Author Name: Becky Sisk, Ph.D.

Contact Email Address: mailto:becky@enursescribe.com

Category: Health & Fitness

Word Count: 677

You have permission to publish this article electronically, as

long as the resource box at the end is included. Please contact

me if you use this article at mailto:becky@enursescribe.com.

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What You Should Know About West Nile Virus

(c) 2002

By Becky Sisk, Ph.D.

The West Nile virus (WNV) was first documented in Uganda in 1937.

The first case in the United States was reported in New York City

in 1999. Additional human cases are identified and deaths are

reported daily. Here's what you need to know.

WHO CONTRACTS WNV?

WNV affects all races and men and women equally. The elderly,

chronically ill, or immunosuppressed are more likely to

become seriously ill or die from WNV.

HOW IS WNV TRANSMITTED?

-- WNV is carried from animal to animal by mosquito bites.

Birds (especially crows) are the most common victims, but WNV

has infected horses and smaller animals as well.

-- Birds, horses, humans, and other animals do not transmit the

disease. Mosquitoes do. Therefore, you will not get WNV if

you handle animals who are infected.

-- The more mosquito bites you have, the more likely you are to

become infected. This does *not* mean that you should run

to the doctor or your emergency room when a mosquito bites

you. The likelihood that you have become infected is extremely

small.

HOW DO DOCTORS DIAGNOSE WNV?

-- The signs and symptoms of WNV are fever, headache, loss of

appetite, nausea and vomiting, muscle pain, eye pain, rash,

and enlarged lymph glands. According to a recent article

in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the incubaton period

of WNV is from three to 14 days.

-- WNV is dangerous when it develops into viral encephalitis or

viral meningitis. Symptoms of viral encephalitis include

confusion and a gradual loss of consciousness. Symptoms of

viral meningitis include a stiff neck and neurological signs

your doctor will recognize.

-- Doctors diagnose WNV through a history and physical

examination. They also order a blood test to detect the

antibody to the WNV and or to find the virus itself in

the blood. A case is considered to be "probable West Nile

virus" when the WNV antibody is identified and "confirmed

West Nile virus" when the virus itself is identified in the

blood.

HOW DO DOCTORS TREAT WNV?

Treatment for WNV is entirely supportive because there is

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BIO:

Becky Sisk, PhD., R.N., is owner
and webmaster of NurseScribe,
http://www.enursescribe.com/.

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