West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can affect horses, birds and humans, it is generally not a serious disease but in some people it can cause very serious diseases such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), meningitis (inflammation of the the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord), or meningoencephalitis when it affects the brain and meninges.
Advertisements
The risk of contracting West Nile Virus varies from year to year based on rainfall, temperature, mosquito populations, and other factors.
The West Nile virus has a wide distribution throughout Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe, western Russia, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
In the American continent, the West Nile virus initially spread from New York City in 1999 to the Pacific coast of the United States in 2003 and in Argentina in 2005.
Recently (August 2020) an outbreak has been reported in Andalusia, Spain caused by this virus with at least 12 confirmed cases of meningoencephalitis, which is the most serious form of presentation of this disease.
By 2020, West Nile virus is already circulating in many countries in the Western Hemisphere, and for reasons still unknown only the United States and Canada have experienced a substantial incidence of human infections.
How is West Nile Virus spread?
The bite of an infected mosquito can transmit the West Nile virus.
Advertisements
There is no evidence that West Nile virus spreads from one animal to another or from one person to another, except in rare cases through a blood transfusion, in organ transplants, or more rarely, during pregnancy, from a mother. to your baby.
West Nile Virus Symptoms
Most infected people have no symptoms.
Fever and other common symptoms.
20% of infected people develop a fever along with other symptoms such as:
- Headache
- Body pain
- Joint pains
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Acne
- Fatigue and tiredness
Most people with these types of symptoms make a full recovery, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.
Symptoms of serious illness
About 1 in 150 infected people develop a serious disease that affects the central nervous system, such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord), meningoencephalitis when it affects both the brain like the meninges.
Symptoms can include:
- High fever
- Headache
- Neck stiffness
- Stupor
- Disorientation
- Eat
- Tremors
- Convulsions
- Muscular weakness
- Sight loss
- Numbness
- Paralysis
Mortality among people who develop severe disease is 10% and those who recover may be left with sequelae due to permanent damage to the central nervous system.
Advertisements
People at higher risk of severe West Nile virus disease
Severe West Nile virus disease can occur in people of any age; however, people over the age of 60 are at higher risk.
People with certain pre-existing diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants, are also at higher risk.
Advertisements
West Nile Virus Treatment
Although there is an effective vaccine against the virus in horses, for humans there are no specific vaccines or antiviral treatments available against West Nile virus infection.
Over-the-counter pain relievers can be used to reduce fever and relieve some symptoms.
In severe cases, patients need to be hospitalized for supportive treatment, including intravenous fluids, pain relievers, and nursing care.
West Nile Virus Prevention
What can I do to reduce my risk of infection with West Nile Virus?
Preventing mosquito bites is the best way to avoid West Nile virus.
Preventive steps you and your family can take:
- Spray clothing with mosquito repellants containing picaridin (icaridin), permethrin, or DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), as mosquitoes can bite through thin fabric. Do not apply repellants that contain permethrin directly to the skin. If you spray your clothing, it is not necessary to apply DEET repellent to the skin under your clothing.
- Apply a moderate amount of insect repellent to skin not covered by clothing. The more DEET a repellent contains, the longer it will protect you against mosquito bites. A higher percentage of DEET in a repellent does not mean that its protection is better, only that it is more durable.
- The duration of protection does not increase with a DEET concentration greater than 50%. Choose a repellent that provides protection for the amount of time you will be outdoors.
- Repellants can irritate the eyes and mouth, so avoid applying repellent to children’s hands and near children’s eyes and mouths.
- Do not apply repellants on sore or irritated skin.
- When you return indoors, wash clothing and skin where the repellent was applied with soap and water.
- Whenever you use an insecticide or insect repellent, read and follow the manufacturer’s INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE, printed on the product.
- Whenever possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
- Place a screen over chargers or strollers when going outdoors.
- Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk, and early evening, as mosquitoes bite the most during these periods.
- Install or repair wire mesh (mesh or screen) on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
- Help reduce the number of mosquitoes outdoors where you work or play by draining standing water. In this way you reduce the places where mosquitoes can lay their eggs and reproduce.
- To prevent mosquitoes from breeding near where you live, remove standing water. Empty water from flower pots, pet waterers, roof gutters, pool covers, discarded tires, buckets, barrels, cans, and other items that collect water, as mosquitoes can lay eggs and breed there.
- Check for containers or trash in places that may be difficult to see, such as under bushes or under your home.
- Thiamine (vitamin B1) and ultrasound devices are NOT effective in preventing mosquito bites.
Cautions that I should take with children when using mosquito repellent
- Repellents containing picaridin (icaridin) should not be used in children under two months of age.
Advertisements
- Lemon eucalyptus oil should not be used in children under 3 years of age.
- When using repellent on a child, apply it to your own hands and not the child’s, then rub it on your child.
- Avoid applying the repellent to your child’s eyes and mouth, and use it sparingly around the ears.
- Do not allow children to handle the repellent.
Remember to keep repellants out of the reach of children.
Cautions with the use of repellants in pregnant and lactating women
There is no evidence that the use of DEET in pregnant or lactating women has negative consequences for the child at birth or who is drinking breast milk.
