West Nile Virus Treatment

West Nile Virus is a disease transmitted to human by mosquito bites. Although the virus has been in existence for around 1000 years, with the first human case discovered in Uganda in 1937, it did not reach the USA until the end of the last century. Every year, during mosquito season the West Nile Virus returns and several 1000 people in the US are infected, although only around 0.1% of those infected suffer death as a result. The virus tends to rarely infect children and is more likely to infect those over 50 with weaker immune systems. It has 3 distinct stages and West Nile Virus treatment for each stage is different.

In the first stage of West Nile Virus which everyone who suffers the disease will experience, there are no symptoms felt. If the sufferer does not progress to either of the next 2 stages they will not be aware that they have even been infected. Therefore, no West Nile Virus treatment is required to be administered.

Between 25 and 30 percent of infected people go on to suffer from the febrile condition West Nile Fever. This can be diagnosed by the indications of several unpleasant symptoms such as: headaches, fever, fatigue, truncal rash, throwing up, nausea, stomach upset, swollen lymph nodes and diarrhea amongst other symptoms. There is no vaccine for West Nile Fever and so the only method of prevention is to try and avoid being bitten by a carrier mosquito. Therefore, if you are in a high risk area wearing mosquito repellent during the mosquito season is a must. If it is too late though, and you or someone in your family has been diagnosed with West Nile Fever, the only West Nile Virus treatment available is generally supportive therapy. In other words, tying to alleviate the pain and suffering from the symptoms such as rehydrating to reduce nausea etc. West Nile Virus is, of course, a virus and not a bacteria and so antibiotics are no use at trying to kill the infection.

A small fraction of West Nile sufferers go on to suffer from the brain diseases West Nile meningitis and West Nile encephalitis. The statistics show that only around 1 in 150 WNV infections progress to the potentially fatal neuroinvasive strains. Sufferers of West Nile Fever have, in very rare cases been known to progress to West Nile meningitis or encephalitis. The symptoms of these diseases include headaches, disorientation, stiff neck and loss of consciousness perhaps even coma. As for the febrile stage West Nile Fever, for this stage there are no specific drugs or West Nile Virus treatment that can be given. Patients are often admitted to hospitals and given intense support therapy such as: intravenous fluids, airway management, ventilators and prevention of any additional infections such as pneumonia.