Symptoms of severe illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.
What are 3 signs of West Nile virus?
These are the most common symptoms of West Nile fever:
- Fever.
- Headache.
- Body aches.
- Skin rash on trunk of body.
- Swollen lymph glands.
How do I know if I got West Nile virus?
The symptoms of severe infection (West Nile encephalitis or meningitis) can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, stupor, disorientation, tremors, seizures, paralysis, and coma. WNV can cause serious illness, and in some cases, death.
What are mild symptoms of West Nile virus?
Mild disease, generally called West Nile fever, may cause some or all of the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain.
- Fever, headache, and sore throat.
- Lack of appetite.
- Muscle aches.
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- Rash.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
What part of the body does West Nile virus affect?
In one out of 150 cases, West Nile virus is a more serious problem. It can cause a dangerous infection that affects the brain and nervous system. This infection can cause lasting or permanent side effects, such as muscle weakness. Some people die.
Does West Nile go away on its own?
Living with West Nile Virus
Most people recover in a few days. Some symptoms may last a few weeks, such as weakness or fatigue. But they will go away on their own. Most people who develop severe illness from West Nile virus recover.
What is the cure for West Nile?
There is no specific treatment for West Nile virus (WNV) disease; clinical management is supportive. Patients with severe meningeal symptoms often require pain control for headaches and antiemetic therapy and rehydration for associated nausea and vomiting.
How long does the West Nile virus last?
In mild cases of West Nile, symptoms usually last for 3 to 6 days, and you can recover at home. If you get a more severe case of West Nile, symptoms can last for weeks or months, and you may need to stay in the hospital so you can get medicine to help you recover.
When should you suspect West Nile virus?
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of severe disease (also called neuroinvasive disease, such as West Nile encephalitis or meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.
How long do West Nile symptoms last?
In mild cases of West Nile, symptoms usually last for 3 to 6 days, and you can recover at home. If you get a more severe case of West Nile, symptoms can last for weeks or months, and you may need to stay in the hospital so you can get medicine to help you recover.
Should I worry about West Nile virus?
About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. About 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. You can reduce your risk of WNV by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites.
How long after a mosquito bite do West Nile symptoms appear?
Most West Nile virus infections happen during warm weather, when mosquitoes are active. The incubation period — the period between when you’re bitten by an infected mosquito and the appearance of signs and symptoms of the illness — generally ranges from four to 10 days.
Does West Nile stay in your body forever?
Like many other viruses, medical tests indicate that once a person has been infected with West Nile, he/she develops a natural immunity to future infection by the virus for life. However, this immunity may decrease over time or with further health conditions that compromise the immune system.
Who is most at risk for West Nile virus?
Severe illness can occur in people of any age; however, people over 60 years of age are at greater risk. People with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants, are also at greater risk.
How do you get tested for West Nile?
Spinal tap (lumbar puncture).
A needle inserted between the lower vertebrae of your spine is used to remove a sample of fluid for analysis in a lab. The fluid sample may show an elevated white blood cell count — a signal that your immune system is fighting an infection — and antibodies to the West Nile virus.
Can antibiotics help West Nile virus?
There is no specific treatment. Since West Nile infection is not caused by bacteria, antibiotics will not work to treat the patient. Instead, doctors will try to reduce the symptoms with other medicines. Most people recover from this illness.
How is West Nile spread from person to person?
Transmission. West Nile virus is rarely transmitted from one human to another but rather is spread through the following: Infected Mosquitoes Generally, WNV is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds.
Is West Nile virus reversible?
There is no specific treatment for West Nile fever. Even so, the vast majority of people will recover without treatment or long-term consequences. Severe cases may require hospitalization to treat complications of the disease and prevent secondary infections.
What are the chances of getting West Nile?
Even in areas where the virus is circulating, very few mosquitoes are infected with the virus. Even if the mosquito is infected, less than 1% of people who get bitten and become infected will get severely ill. The chances you will become severely ill from any one mosquito bite are extremely small.
Can a blood test detect West Nile virus?
Testing detects either the West Nile virus directly or antibodies produced in response to WNV infection in blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
How long does West Nile take to show up?
Clinical Signs & Symptoms
The incubation period for WNV disease is typically 2 to 6 days but ranges from 2 to 14 days and can be several weeks in immunocompromised people. An estimated 70-80% of human WNV infections are subclinical or asymptomatic.