West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus Symptoms

West Nile Fever
Approximately twenty percent of the people who contract the West Nile Virus will develop fever. This is the mild form of the Virus that is not life-threatening and usually lasts for a few days.

Symptoms of West Nile Fever
Fever, headache, body ache, swollen lymph glands and occasionally a rash on the trunk of the body are common West Nile Virus symptoms. These symptoms take as little as three to twelve days to show up and a few days to disappear.

One in one hundred and fifty people infected with the virus will experience severe West Nile Virus symptoms. Those who are more susceptible to the more serious effects of the virus are the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

West Nile Encephalitis is a more serious form of the virus that affects people primarily in the late summer or early fall. However, it can be transmitted year-round in the southern climates where temperatures are milder. There is no vaccine available for the West Nile Virus however several companies are working to develop one.

Symptoms of West Nile Encephalitis
Headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis are common symptoms. These types of West Nile Virus symptoms have been known to last several weeks, and usually leave permanent neurological effects.

Animals
Although found mainly in birds, West Nile Virus has been identified in other animals such as horses, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, and domestic rabbits. As the virus multiplies in the animal's system it crosses the blood-brain barrier and eventually resulting in inflammation of the brain.

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