Symptoms of West Nile Virus in Children
West Nile Virus is a disease spread by
mosquitoes, the first occurrences of which appeared in the USA in
1999. The virus can be fatal to birds, horses and unfortunately
humans too. If you are a parent and are worried about symptoms of
West Nile Virus in children then you should be aware that the virus
is much less likely to be contracted by children than it is by
adults. Children with weak immune systems may be more at risk than
other children.
In order to discuss the symptoms of West Nile
Virus in children, we should know a little about the 3
different stages of West Nile Virus. The first stage is an
asymptomatic infection. This means that no symptoms are felt by the
sufferer. This does not mean that it is impossible to tell if
someone has contracted West Nile Virus as we should be aware of the
difference between signs and symptoms. Doctors can detect the signs
of viruses even if the sufferer does not feel symptoms. Around 27%
of West Nile Virus cases progress to West Nile Fever. In this,
febrile stage of the disease many of the symptoms displayed by your
child be from other viruses, no necessarily West Nile and so you
should of course seek a doctor's diagnosis. Certainly, if you live
in an area with high mosquito levels there is a chance your child
has West Nile Virus. Some of the main symptons of West Nile Fever
in children are fever of course, headaches, nausea, vomiting,
shivering, heavy sweating, swollen glands, weakeness and fatigue.
Typically these symptoms of West Nile Virus in children will
subside with a week to 10 days, although glands may be swollen for
many months more.
So, in most cases no symptoms will be felt at
all, in around 27% symptoms of West Nile Fever in children
described above will be felt, while in less than 1% of sufferers
the neuroinvasive diseases West Nile meningitis and encephalitis
are contracted. These are severe diseases but, again, children are
less likely to be affected and instead adults over 50 are generally
at greater risk. These symptoms of West Nile Virus in children
include headaches, muscle weakness, paralysis, neck stiffness and
even coma.
If your child is complaining of any of the
aforementioned symptoms it is certainly advisable to seek the help
of a doctor immediately.
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