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West Nile Virus: People
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West Nile virus (WNV) is a disease mostly affecting birds. It is spread among birds by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes get the virus from biting infected birds and then can pass it on to other birds, animals, or people. These mosquitoes can sometimes bite a person, but most people do not become very sick. In some people, West Nile Virus can cause encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.
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Deaths from the mosquito-borne West Nile virus increased last year to their highest level since 2003, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 177 people died from West Nile in 2006 out of 4,269 reported cases, the CDC said. However, the deadliest year for West Nile was 2002, when 284 people died.
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West Nile virus is a rare disease that spreads through mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds. Mosquitoes become infected after feeding on birds that are carrying the virus. Infected mosquitoes may then transmit the virus to humans and other animals. The virus cannot be transmitted directly between animals or from animals to people.
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Mild illness, called West Nile Fever, may include a headache, body aches, fever, and sometimes skin rash and swollen glands. Fewer than 1% of people who are bitten and infected with West Nile Fever have it intensify into a severe illness know as West Nile Encephalitis. Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain that may be marked by headache, high fever, stiff neck, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. A small number of cases have been fatal.
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Widespread spraying against mosquitoes was a reflexive response after West Nile entered the Western Hemisphere in summer, 1999. A truck sprays insecticide to kill mosquitoes in Manhattan, New York, on Monday, Sept. 13, 1999. Critics say such sprays are ineffective against mosquitoes, but dangerous to people and the environment.
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A: In last year's outbreak, most people who were infected with the West Nile virus had no symptoms or experienced mild illness with fever, headache and body aches before fully recovering. In outbreaks in other parts of the world, some persons ... developed a mild rash or swollen lymph glands. In some individuals, particularly the elderly, West Nile virus can cause serious disease that affects brain tissue. At its most serious, it can cause permanent neurological damage and can be fatal. Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) symptoms include the rapid onset of severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, confusion, loss of consciousness (coma), and muscle weakness. Death may occur in some instances.
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