What Is West Nile Infection. Symptoms And Treatment

The condition of a Missouri teen, who contracted the West Nile virus just over two weeks ago, has left many concerned in the United States. The 18-year-old has been left paralysed and on a ventilator in the ICU, Fox News reported. John Procter VI's case has also led to many asking what the virus is and how it spreads.

West Nile virus is one of the primary causes of mosquito-borne disease in the US. The virus spreads in the human body when an infected mosquito bites a person. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), West Nile cases occur throughout the mosquito season, from summer to autumn. Since its first report in 1999, there have been over 51,000 cases of West Nile in the United States, reported Cleveland Clinic.

How it spreads

Humans contract the West Nile virus when mosquitoes first feed on infected birds and then bite people, according to the CDC. Unlike birds, humans do not produce sufficient quantities of the virus in their bloodstream, making them dead-end hosts.

How birds get infected

Birds get infected with the West Nile virus when an infected mosquito bites them. Mosquitoes become carriers after feeding or biting an infected bird, forming a chain of sorts. Predators such as hawks and owls or scavengers -- crows -- may also get infected after eating other dead birds that already had the West Nile virus.

Symptoms

As per the CDC, eight of the 10 people who get infected with the West Nile virus do not show any symptoms.

Approximately one in five infected individuals experience a fever and additional symptoms such as joint pain, body aches, headache, diarrhoea, vomiting, rash, swollen lymph nodes, and sore throat. After the person recovers, weakness and fatigue may persist for weeks or months.

One out of 150 people may develop serious illness after contracting the West Nile virus. In some cases, it can affect the central nervous system, causing inflammation of the brain aka encephalitis, and inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord aka meningitis.

Some symptoms of severe illness include neck stiffness, high fever, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, vision loss, muscle weakness, paralysis, and coma. It can affect people of any age but those above 60 are more prone to it. People already dealing with chronic ailments like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and kidney diseases are at a greater risk too.

Treatment

No particular medicines are available to treat West Nile, says the CDC. Antibiotics are also of no use. 

Over-the-counter medications, plenty of sleep, and drinking fluids can alleviate the symptoms.

In case of severe symptoms, the patient should be hospitalised for treatment.