Sign of west nile virus

Diagnosis See your healthcare provider if you develop the symptoms described above. Your healthcare provider can order tests to look for West Nile virus infection. To learn more about testing, visit our Healthcare Providers page. Treatment No vaccine or specific medicines are available for West Nile virus infection. Over-the-counter pain relievers can be used to reduce fever and relieve some symptoms In severe cases, patients often need to be hospitalized to receive supportive treatment, such as intravenous fluids, pain medication, and nursing care.

If you think you or a family member might have West Nile virus disease, talk with your health care provider. To learn more about treatment, visit our Healthcare Providers page. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.

What differentiates West Nile reversible paralysis from West Nile poliomyelitis is that the reflex responses remain intact even when muscle weakness occurs.

While the initial paralysis can be profound, it will eventually reverse with little visible impairment of motor function. Getting a mosquito bite does not mean you will get West Nile fever. Most people infected with the West Nile virus will either never even know it or simply mistake it for a mild flu.

Even if you discover you've been infected, the chances are good that you will get better without any problems or treatment. Get our printable guide for your next doctor's appointment to help you ask the right questions. With that being said, if you are elderly or immune-compromised, you need to seek immediate care if you experience a severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, confusion, light sensitivity, or sudden muscle weakness.

These may be signs encephalitis or meningitis, both of which require emergency treatment. The West Nile virus is no longer a disease associated with foreign travel. Fatalities, which have mainly occurred among the elderly, have generally been low, the annual rate ranging from as few as 2 to as many as in the United States.

The symptoms of West Nile fever, if any, develop three to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. With mild infections, the febrile fever-related symptoms may resolve within days, but the fatigue and weakness can persist for weeks and even months in some people. One in infections will result in West Nile neuroinvasive disease WNND , in which the virus invades the central nervous system.

Symptoms may include severe headache, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, tremors, disorientation, convulsions, paralysis typically reversible , and coma. The majority of deaths are in people 70 and over. Causes of death include encephalitis-induced deep vein thrombosis DVT and aspiration pneumonia triggered by severe dysphagia the impairment or loss of the swallowing reflex.

There is no specific treatment for West Nile fever. Even so, the vast majority of people will recover without treatment or long-term consequences. Severe cases may require hospitalization to treat complications of the disease and prevent secondary infections. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. West Nile virus. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Updated November 20, Sejvar JJ. Clinical manifestations and outcomes of West Nile virus infection.

Published Feb 6. West Nile virus in the United States: an update on an emerging infectious disease. Am Fam Physician. West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease. Ann Neurol. West Nile virus meningoencephalitis. Nat Clin Pract Neurol. A case of West Nile virus encephalitis accompanied by diabetic ketoacidosis and rhabdomyolysis. Published Feb Acute flaccid paralysis and West Nile virus infection.

Emerg Infect Dis. Neuromuscular manifestations of west nile virus infection. Front Neurol. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated June 14, West Nile virus: Symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Updated December 10, West Nile virus: review of the literature. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. West Nile virus. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.

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