West Nile virus: What is West Nile virus?

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West Nile is a virus that spreads through mosquito bites. Most people infected with West Nile virus don’t have symptoms. About 1 in 5 people have symptoms like fever, rash and muscle aches. Rarely, West Nile can cause serious brain and spinal cord inflammation (encephalitis and meningitis).

Overview

What is West Nile virus?

West Nile is a virus that spreads through mosquito bites. Most people who get infected don’t have symptoms. But about 1 in 5 people have a fever, headache, body aches and other flu-like symptoms (sometimes called West Nile fever). Rarely, West Nile virus infects your nervous system and causes serious brain or spinal cord inflammation (encephalitis or meningitis).

West Nile is named after the West Nile district of Uganda, where it was first identified.

How common is West Nile virus?

West Nile virus is found in many parts of the world, including North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Asia. It’s the most common mosquito-transmitted virus in the U.S., with cases reported in 49 states. There have been over 51,000 symptomatic cases in the U.S. since the first cases in the country in 1999.

Symptoms and Causes

What are the symptoms of West Nile virus?

Symptoms of West Nile fever include:

• Fever.
• Headache.
• Muscles aches.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Rash (usually concentrated around your chest and back).
• Swollen lymph nodes.
• Sore throat.
• Pain behind your eyes.

West Nile encephalitis and meningitis

Symptoms of more serious West Nile infections include:

• Intense, very painful headache.
• High fever (above 103 degrees Fahrenheit or 39.5 degrees Celsius).
• Stiff neck. You might not be able to move your chin toward your chest.
• Confusion.
• Muscle weakness.
• Muscle movements you can’t control (tremors or convulsions).
• Seizures.
• Paralysis.
• Coma.

How do you get West Nile virus?

Infected mosquitos transmit West Nile virus. They usually get the virus by biting an infected bird (there’s no evidence humans get it directly from birds). The virus multiplies inside the mosquito, and it’s transmitted to you (or another animal) when it bites you. The incubation period — how long before you have symptoms — is usually two to six days after getting bitten (but can be up to 14 days).

In a very few cases, West Nile virus has spread:

• From a pregnant person to their fetus.
• Through human milk.
• Through a blood transfusion.
• Through an organ transplant.

What are the risk factors for West Nile fever?

Mosquitos can bite anyone. But certain people are at a higher risk of getting severely ill if they get West Nile. You might be at a higher risk if you:

• Are over the age of 60.
• Are an organ transplant recipient.
• Have cancer.
• Have diabetes.
• Have high blood pressure (hypertension).
• Have kidney disease.

What are the complications of West Nile virus?

Less than 1% (about 1 in 150) of people infected with West Nile will get severe symptoms. The most common complication is swelling in part of your nervous system (your brain and spinal cord), including encephalitis and meningitis.

Long-term effects of a severe West Nile infection could include:

• Memory loss.
• Hearing loss.
• Difficulty walking or gait disorders.
• Muscle weakness.
• Abnormal reflexes.
• Depression.

Reference: my.clevelandclinic.org

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