West Nile Virus: An Overlooked but Dangerous Mosquito-Borne Threat

The West Nile Virus, a mosquito-borne pathogen, is becoming a rising public health concern. It has documented cases in many parts of the world, including in India. The virus often causes mild, flu-like symptoms, but in certain cases, it can result in serious neurological diseases.

With no specific treatment available, effective management of West Nile fever relies on early detection and efficient preventive measures. This article covers what a West Nile virus is, its symptoms, risk factors, and preventive methods.

What is a West Nile Virus?

The West Nile virus gets its name from the West Nile district in Uganda, from where its first case was reported. It’s the main cause of West Nile disease or infection that is characterised by fever, headache, and, in severe cases, even brain damage. This mosquito virus shares similar symptoms with other mosquito-borne flaviviruses, such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and Zika.

According to a ScienceDirect study, approximately 70-80% of the cases do not show any symptoms and the remaining 20% cause symptoms like those of influenza. However, in rare cases, approximately 1 in 150 infections with the West Nile fever virus, severe symptoms develop that lead to brain or spinal cord inflammation.

What Causes West Nile Virus?

The primary cause of West Nile virus is mosquito bites. It is carried by birds and then spread by mosquitoes, which bite those infected birds. West Nile disease is not contagious and does not spread through common contact. The few ways it can spread person-to-person are:

• Through blood transfusion
• From mother to child (pregnancy or breastfeeding)
• Through an organ transplant

What are the Symptoms of West Nile Virus?

West Nile fever stays in the body for 2 to 14 days before showing symptoms. 80% of infected people would show no symptoms. However, it is of utmost importance to take note of possible West Nile Virus symptoms, whether mild or severe.

The mild and easily treated symptoms of West Nile disease include:

• Headache
• Fever
• Body aches
• Rash (around chest and back)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain behind eyes
• Swollen lymph glands

Severe symptoms occur when the West Nile fever virus starts to affect the brain and spine. These are:

• Neck stiffness
• Confusion and disorientation
• Seizures
• Numbness
• Paralysis
• Muscle weakness
• Coma

Patients with severe symptoms require urgent medical attention, as complications of West Nile disease can turn out to be fatal.

What are the Risk Factors of West Nile Virus?

People of any age group can catch West Nile fever virus, but people with weakened immune systems or those over the age of 50 are at a higher risk.

Some other factors that increase the risk of acquiring West Nile disease are:

• Being diagnosed with medical conditions like diabetes, cancer, kidney diseases, and hypertension
• Having an organ transplant or blood transfusion
• Living in mosquito-prone areas

How to Diagnose West Nile Disease?

Diagnosis of West Nile Virus typically involves clinical examination and laboratory tests. Healthcare workers rely on the below methods to diagnose a patient with West Nile fever:

• Clinical evaluation
• History of previous infections similar to West Nile fever
• In case of severe symptoms, laboratory testing of blood and cerebrospinal fluid
• MRIs and CT scans to determine internal inflammation

How to Prevent West Nile Fever?

There are some efficient measures one can take to prevent a West Nile infection. These are listed below:

• Wearing covered clothes during morning and evening hours, when chances of mosquito bites are high.
• Limiting outdoor activities when mosquitoes are most active
• Using mosquito repellents on exposed skin
• Installing mosquito nets
• Eliminating stagnant water from any pots, buckets, and so on

In most cases, one can recover from a West Nile virus infection with adequate rest and medication, but some cases can turn severe if not treated on time. Since there is no vaccine available against the West Nile virus, it’s crucial to have a proper understanding of its symptoms and preventive measures that can decrease the risk of the infection.

Upon identifying any of the symptoms listed above, make sure to consult a healthcare provider and book a West Nile Serum test from Dr Lal PathLabs for early diagnosis.

Download the Dr Lal PathLabs app today to book home sample collections and to access timely test reports online without the need to step outside.

FAQs

1. Is West Nile Virus a communicable disease?

No, West Nile fever virus cannot spread through common contact, such as coughing, sneezing, or touching. However, it can spread from person to person via blood transfusions, organ transplants, during pregnancy from mother to child, or through breastfeeding.

2. Is there a vaccine available for West Nile Disease?

No, there isn’t any vaccine or specific treatment for West Nile virus as yet; the best protection against it is prevention itself.

3. What is the recovery period for West Nile Fever?

Mild symptoms of West Nile disease fade away within a couple of days or weeks, yet fatigue and weakness can take up to months to recover from.