Who is at risk for getting West Nile encephalitis?
All residents of areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis. Q: What is the transmission cycle of West Nile virus? A: Female mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which may circulate the virus in their blood for a few days. Infected mosquitoes can then transmit WNV to humans and animals while biting to take blood meals. The primary transmission cycle is bird-mosquito-bird, with incidental transmission occurring to people and horses. Q: What types of animal develop illness from West Nile Virus infection? A: Birds and horses are most susceptible to disease caused by WNV. Although numerous animals are bitten by infected mosquitoes, illness caused by WNV is uncommon in domestic pets or other wildlife. West Nile virus infections have been proven in a variety of animals, including squirrels, bats, dogs, cats, goats, skunks, domestic rabbits, and even alligators. However, WNV is NOT considered a significant health threat
A. All residents of areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis; persons over 50 years of age have the highest risk of severe disease. It is unknown if immunocompromised persons are at increased risk for WNV disease. Symptoms of West Nile Virus Q. Who is at risk for getting West Nile encephalitis? A. All residents of areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis; persons over 50 years of age have the highest risk of severe disease. Q. What are the symptoms of West Nile encephalitis? A. Most infections are mild, and symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands. More severe infection may be marked by headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis, and, rarely, death. Q. What is the incubation period in humans (i.e., time from infection to on
