West Nile Virus Symptoms
Effects range from mild fever to brain disease
When humans become infected with the West Nile Virus they typically display one of the following three stages of symptoms:
No symptoms - Four out of five people will show no symptoms of the WNV and recover without ever knowing they were infected.
Mild symptoms - Similar to the flu such as fever, nausea, skin rash, headache, swollen lymph glands and muscle stiffness lasting between a few days and several weeks. People infected with WNV will begin to show symptoms between 3 and 14 days after being bitten by the infected mosquito. These mild symptoms of West Nile Virus can be overcome by most normal healthy people with over-the-counter cold treatments and antibiotic medications.
Did You Know?
After a blood meal is digested and the eggs are laid, the female mosquito again seeks a blood meal to produce a second batch of eggs. Depending on her stamina and the weather, she may repeat this process many times without mating again.
Extreme illness- Can occur in 1 out of 150 people, especially if the infected person is elderly (50 years or older) or has a weak immune system (suffering from HIV, AIDS or cancer). Serious symptoms of the West Nile Virus can include high fever, disorientation, coma, convulsions, vision loss, neck stiffness, numbness and paralysis. People suffering from serious WNV effects can be ill for several weeks and must be hospitalized to receive the proper treatment. If left unattended WNV can lead to permanent neurological affects, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), meningitis (inflammation of the brain's membrane and spinal cord), memingeoncephalitis (inflammation of the brain and membrane surrounding it) and may even result in death.
