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West Nile Virus is form of encephalitis only found in the United States within the last three years. It is spread by mosquitoes. The mosquito bites an infected animal, often a bird, and then bites a human being, infecting that person with the virus. The first case of West Nile Virus was reported in New York City in 1999, but by the end of last summer had reached virtually all but a few western states (Gorman, 2002).
West Nile Virus has infected far more people than has been reported in the media because most people have either very mild symptoms or none at all. About 20% have headache and fever without any further severe illness or complications (CDC, 2002). Only one in 150 people who contract the disease become sick enough to have the blood tests necessary for accurate diagnosis (Mechcatie, 2001). Most people who become seriously ill with West Nile Virus are older. They first had a fever with some gastro-intestinal discomfort. They may have swollen glands and a rash on their bodies. For some reason, the disease then makes them sicker including neurological symptoms, including muscle weakness or paralysis. These patients will also have a high fever, stiff neck, mental confusion and even convulsions. Some have had to be put on ventilators because they could no longer breathe for themselves (Mechcatie, 2001)
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Because of the disease's spread and the seriousness of it in its more severe form, physicians have been warned to be alert for it in their patients, especially in those states where the virus is spreading. That makes a diagnostic problem for doctors because West Nile Virus can look like any number of other diseases. The CDC warns doctors, "No single sign "will let the physician know the patient has West Nile as opposed to an enteroviral or other cause of encephalitis."(Mechcatie, 2001) The symptoms are vague, physicians cannot tell from a physical examination alone whether the person has the disease or not. In addition, it's possible to contract other forms of encephalitis as well.
However, the Center for Disease Control notes one symptom all people should be aware of. If they experience unexplained lethargy, they should check with their doctor immediately, as it could be a sign of the more serious form of the disease. While all deaths have occurred in older people or…
Works Cited
Center for Disease Control. 2002. "West Nile Virus. Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases. Accessed via the Internet November 8, 2002. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/
Gorman, Christine. "West Nile: Prepare, Don't Panic." TIME Magazine. August 14, 2002.
Mechcatie. Elizabeth. 2001. "Encephalitis Symptoms? Suspect West Nile Virus." Family Practice News. June 1, 2001. (Mechcatie, 2001)
West Nile Virus In the summer of 1999, an unusual thing occurred: West Nile Encephalitis came to New York City. This was unusual because the disease had previously been present in the Middle East and Africa, and sporadically present in Europe, but unknown in North America. Its sudden appearance in America sparked speculation that West Nile Virus was brought to America by terrorists as a form of biological warfare. In spite of
West Nile Virus In recent years, every summer, the threat of West Nile (WN) virus has become the scourge of the temperate regions of Europe and North America. (Abramovitz, 2004) The virus presents a threat to the human and animal population -- especially the bird population. Symptoms of WN viral infection range from mild fevers and aches, to encephalitis (inflammation of the spinal cord and brain). The latter can be fatal.
West Nile virus was first detected in the Western Hemisphere in 1999 and during the last few years has spread cross the North American continent into all forty-eight continental states, seven Canadian provinces, throughout Mexico (West). Moreover, the virus has been detected in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, and El Salvador (West). According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 15,000 people in
" (Science Daily, 2008) it is related that these testing and diagnosis of West Nile in horses assist in the identification of where the disease is spreading and helps in the decision concerning whether to vaccinate horses in an area. Dr. Magnarelli states that the information used in this testing " is useful in confirming the epidemiology of the virus, determining when it arrived in certain areas and how it
Worldwide, the distribution pattern of WNV is mainly found in the northern, eastern and southern regions of Africa, parts of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia. On a global scale, mortality rate of diseases caused by WNV human infection could range from 2.4% to as high as 47% (Bourne, 2011). In the United States, CDC reports its latest (2011) data showing that there have been a total of 432
diseases West Nile virus, malaria, plague, and yellow fever. Specifically, it will discuss the history and distribution of the diseases in the United States or worldwide, and compare each of the diseases based on the categories above, as to which is most important individually and overall in terms of relative impact. West Nile virus only appeared in the United States in 1999, but it has become quite a feared disease