Skip to main content

West Nile Virus

 


West Nile virus (WNV) is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito.

In humans, disease ranges from asymptomatic infection, seen frequently, to encephalitis/paralysis and death, seen rarely. 

Symptoms

No symptoms in most people. Most infected individuals  (8 out of 10) do not experience any symptoms.

Fever: About 1 in 5 infected individuals have a fever with other mild symptoms such as rash, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, and diarrhea

Serious symptoms  About 1 in 150 infected individuals develop a severe illness affecting the central nervous system such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord)

  • About 1 out of 10  people who develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system die.

You can reduce your risk of WNV by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, masks, gloves and goggles to prevent mosquito bites.

Diagnostic testing:

Laboratory diagnosis is generally accomplished by testing of serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for WNV-specific IgM antibodies.

WNV-specific IgM antibodies are usually found 3 to 8 days after onset of illness and sometimes can be detected for upto 90 days or longer. Therefore, positive IgM antibodies sometimes may reflect a past infection.

Viral RNA (e.g., reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]) can be performed on serum, CSF, and tissue specimens that are collected early in the course of infection.

Treatment:

  • Over-the-counter Acetaminophen, NSAIDS, other pain relievers can be used to reduce fever and relieve some symptoms
  • In severe cases, supportive treatment, such as intravenous fluids, pain medication, and nursing care is needed.

There is no FDA (Food and Drug Administration)-approved vaccine for human use, and the only recommended treatment is supportive care.

Comments

  1. conquerpestJune 30, 2022 at 2:41 PM

    Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. mosquito control singapore I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sodium chloride Tablets USP

A 91- year old patient. Admitted to the hospital from the ED. Patient was seen for altered mental status. Labs, CT of brain head, CXR XR of left Tib/Fib were performed. Presumed meningioma in the left middle cranial fossa was noted. Sodium was critically low at 114. Nephrologist was consulted and hyponatremia is of unknown etiology. Patient also has uncontroled hypertension. Comorbidities: Coronary artery disease, Diabetes, Dementia, hypothyroidism, hyperlipedemia, neuropathy. Patient will need physicain oversight for hyponatremia, normal saline routinely, and medication management for hypertension. Rx: Sodium Chloride USP 1.0 gram Use  1. Hyponatremia 2. Preparation of normal isotonic solution of sodium chloride 3. As an electrolyte replenisher for the prevention of heat cramps, due to excessive  perspiration 4. any alternate use as directed by a physician Each tablet contains: sodium 394mg Hyponatremia  is a common electrolyte disorder encountered i...
7 comments
Read more

Mounjaro, Is it a game changer for weight loss and diabetes?

  MOUNJARO™ ( Tirzepatide) was approved for medical use in the United States in May 2022 WEIGHT LOSS: (Not approved by FDA for weight loss) Eli Lilly and Company is  finalizing an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fast-track approval to sell tirzepatide for chronic weight management. MOUNJARO™ is a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist indicated in adults for type 2 diabetes mellitus management. CONTRAINDICATIONS Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2  Known serious all to tirzepatide or any of the excipients in MOUNJARO                                                                    ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Heart healthy

*Clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) includes acute coronary syndrome (ACS), those with history of myocardial infarction (MI), stable or unstable angina or coronary or other arterial revascularization, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), or peripheral artery disease (PAD) including aortic aneurysm, all of atherosclerotic origin. Should I initiate statins or not? The 2014 National Lipid Association (NLA) recommendations provides a more comprehensive, patient-centered approach to identifying ASCVD risk.   In 2013, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) issued guidelines to use the intensity of statin therapy as the treatment goal instead of LDL-C or non–HDL-C targets, as in previous guidelines, to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk (  Andrus & Lacaille, 2014  )  The guideline classifies statin therapy as  high-intensity (lowers LD...
7 comments
Read more