5 Things You Need to Know About West Nile Virus

by ~ The Rebel ~ Posted 2012/08/22 21:01:10

Related Topics: Family, Spread, Virus, Free, Treatment, Human, Vaccine, Blood, Transplant, South, Skin, Pain, Body, Texas, Mississippi, California

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1. What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is a disease
that infects birds and is then spread by mosquitoes to humans. People can also
become infected through blood transfusions and organ transplants.

2. What are the symptoms of West Nile?
According to the CDC, about 80% of people infected with West
Nile virus will get off scot free, with no symptoms. About 20%
of infected people will come down with mild symptoms of West
Nile fever, including fever, headache, fatigue, body pain, skin rash and swollen
lymph glands. These symptoms can last anywhere from a couple of days to a few
weeks.

3. How can I prevent infection?
Avoiding mosquito bites is
the best way to stay disease-free. The CDC recommends taking measures to protect yourself and your family
and to secure your environment.

4. How is West Nile infection treated?
There is currently no
treatment or vaccine or prevent West Nile. In most mild cases, symptoms go away
on their own. For severe cases, some individuals may need to be hospitalized to
treat their symptoms.

5. Which regions are hardest hit?
The CDC says that more
than 80% of West Nile cases are clustered in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Oklahoma, South Dakota and California — and almost half of those cases are in
Texas