West Nile Virus - how this mosquito disease is manifested

Infection among people is most often the result of bites. Mosquitoes are infected when they feed on contaminated birds, which circulate the virus through their blood for several days. The virus then reaches the salivary glands of mosquitoes. Finally, due to mosquito bites, the virus can be injected into humans and animals, where it can multiply and possibly cause disease. Also, the virus can be transmitted through contact with other infected animals via their blood or other tissues. A very small proportion of human infections occurred through organ transplants, blood transfusions or breast milk.

There is a reported case of West Nile transplacental transmission (from mother to child). To date, no transmission of human-to-human West Nile virus by accidental contact has been documented and no transmission has been reported to medical care providers when standard precautions for infection control. The transmission of the virus to the laboratory nurses has been reported. West Nile virus infection is either asymptomatic in about 80% of cases of infected individuals, or it can lead to West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease. About 20% of those who become infected with this virus will develop.

Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, generalized pain, and sometimes rash (on the body trunk) and swollen lymph nodes. Symptoms of severe disease (also called neuroinvasive disease, such as West Nile meningitis or encephalitis or West Nile polio) include headache, high fever, stiff neck, stupor, disorientation, coma, seizures, muscle weakness, paralysis. It is estimated that about 1 in 150 people with West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of the disease. West Nile severe disease can manifest in people of any age. However, people over 50 years of age and some immunocompromised individuals (such as transplant patients) are at greatest risk of becoming seriously ill when infected with this virus.

The incubation period usually lasts between 3 and 14 days. can be diagnosed by means of different tests: • seroconversion of IgG antibodies (or a significant increase in antibody titer) in two serum samples collected at weekly intervals using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) • capture . Serum IgM may persist for more than a year. Treatment is supportive for patients with West Nile neuroinflammatory infection, often involving hospitalization, intravenous fluids, respiratory support and prevention of potential secondary infections. Currently, there is no vaccine available to humans.

Due to the fact that outbreaks of West Nile virus amongst animals precede human cases, establishing an active animal health surveillance system to detect new cases in birds and horses is very important. This is essential for providing early warnings to veterinary and human health authorities. Horses vaccines have been developed. The treatment is supportive and in accordance with standard veterinary practices for animals infected with a viral agent. In the absence of a vaccine, the only way to reduce it is by increasing awareness of risk factors and educating people on the measures they can take to reduce exposure to West Nile virus.

It is important to avoid exposure to mosquito bites. Efforts to prevent transmission of West Nile virus must first focus on personal and community protection against mosquito bites using mosquito nets, insecticides, wearing light clothing (shirts and long sleeved trousers) and avoiding . Gloves and protective clothing must be worn both during contact with diseased animals or their tissues and during the slaughter process. Another essential thing is to reduce the risk of transmission through blood transfusions and organ transplantation. Restrictions on blood and organ donation as well as laboratory testing should be taken into account when an epidemic outbreak occurs in the affected areas after assessment of the local or regional epidemiological situation.

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