West Nile, disease transmitted by patients: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

West Nile is a type of mosquito spread. Often, people live with the infection, but they do not know they have it. In rare cases, the West Nile virus leads to a severe disease affecting the brain or spinal cord. People over 50 years of age pose the greatest risk. Most people recover completely after the disease, but some, those who have had a severe infection may remain with permanent problems such as seizures, memory loss or brain damage. Very few people died of this virus.

West Nile Transmission Sometimes mosquitoes also transmit the virus to other animals such as horses or birds, but you can not get the virus from an infected animal or if you come in contact with a person who has the disease. Disease can spread through mosquito bite by organ transplant or blood transfusion. Some evidence suggests that West Nile can be transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, birth or breast milk. Symptoms of West Nile virus infection In general, 80 people in 100 who have West Nile have no symptoms. These may begin in the first 15 days of being mosquitoed.

The mild symptoms may include: fever, headache, tiredness, lack of appetite, pain in the whole body, rash, usually on the chest, and swelling of the lymph nodes. How to diagnose West Nile People with mild illness have fever for 5 days, fight headaches for about 10 days and experience a permanent tiredness more than a month. Generally, a 150-year-old can experience a serious form of the disease. This can lead to the swelling of the brain (encephalitis), spinal cord (myelitis) or tissues around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). It is manifested by: severe headache, high fever, confusion, convulsions, muscle weakness or paralysis and coma.

If you experience such symptoms, you should immediately get to a doctor and perform blood tests. Antibodies can show if you were infected with West Nile. For the rest, you can also perform other tests, such as: • A lumbar puncture to look for antibodies or other signs of the virus in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. • An IRM (Brain Shooting) scan. This is done to find out if you have encephalitis.

How to treat the disease Unfortunately, there is no treatment for West Nile. That's why the body has to fight infection on its own. If you have a mild form of illness, you can recover at home. Make sure you drink enough fluids and get enough rest. But the diagnosis and help of the doctor should not be missed.

If you represent a severe West Nile case, symptoms can last for weeks or months, especially if the infection spread to the brain and admission to a hospital is absolutely necessary. There you can get help to prevent other diseases such as pneumonia because you will be given infusions and you will be contacted at support and monitoring devices. Preventing West Nile Infestation 1. Use a spray that can protect you from insects when outdoors at the end of spring, summer, and early autumn. 2.

Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants if you know you'll be in mosquito areas or where you know the West Nile virus has been found. 3. Do not leave open water bottles. 4. If you are in an area where mosquitoes feel their presence, stay indoors at dawn and in the evening when insects are active.

There is no vaccine to prevent West Nile virus in humans, but researchers are working to develop one.