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West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease caused encephalitis in people in the New York City area causing 7 deaths in 1999. West Nile encephalitis is an infection of the brain caused by West Nile virus, commonly found in Africa, West Asia, and the Middle East. It is closely related to the St. Louis encephalitis virus found in the United States. Birds are the natural hosts for this virus, which can be transmitted from infected birds to humans and other animals through bites of infected mosquitoes. The West Nile virus, a disease until now found only in Africa, the Middle East and parts of West Asia had never before been reported in the Western hemisphere. With the rise in air travel it is not surprising that diseases that previously were regionalized are now international problems.
West Nile virus was first diagnosed in a woman in Uganda in 1937. It was next identified in Egypt in the 1950s. The virus became recognized as a cause of severe human encephalitis in elderly patients during an outbreak in Israel in 1957. Outbreaks of the West Nile Virus encephalitis in humans have occurred in Algeria in 1994, Romania in 1996-1997, the Czech Republic in 1997, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1998, Russia in 1999, and the United States in 1999.
Most people who become infected with West Nile from a mosquito bite will not become ill. If they do become ill with the West Nile Virus infection most cases are mild. Symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches, often with skin rash and swollen lymph glands. More severe infections may manifest themselves with a headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. This disease is only fatal in 3% to 15%of all cases and the highest fatality rates are in the elderly and those with impaired immune systems.
Many communities where the infected birds have been found are spraying pesticides on a regular basis to reduce the number of mosquitoes in the area. But there are some steps that you can take to reduce your risk of this disease. Since it is transmitted solely by the bite from an infected mosquito, it is important that you limit your exposure to these insects. First, try to stay indoors at dawn, dusk, and in the early evening when mosquitoes feed. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors. Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 35% DEET. Also spray clothing with repellents because mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing. Luckily a good freeze will significantly reduce mosquito activity.
Finally, don’t panic. More people die each year from the flu than from the West Nile Virus. If you follow the above guideline you should feel secure that you have taken the steps necessary to protect yourself and your family.
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