West Nile Virus

Insects carrying the West Nile Virus have infected people in North Greece. So I have decided to find more information about the trasmission of the virus and the symptoms it causes. The virus is trasmitted from infected birds to insects and then to humans and other animals. The virus is trasmitted through blood and not through touching infected animals and people.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/cycle.htm

Once infected, the symptoms can develop 2-15days after the infection. 4 out of 5 humans infected have no symptoms but do develop natural immunity which might fade over the years, 20% have West Nile fever with flu-like symptoms and rash in their body and 1 in 150 infected people might develop symptoms of encephalitis (brain inflammation), meningitis (inflammation in the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord), meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and the membrane surrounding it) or polymyelitis ( inflammation of the spinal cord). The symptoms are severe including severe headaches, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.

Sometimes patients might develop milder symptoms for a couple of days and then have severe symptoms and sometimes patients with severe West Nile disease might have permanent effects. Patients suffering from the West Nile fever have symptoms lasting from a few days to a few weeks and they are gone on their own. Although there are not available medicines to cure this infection, patients have to seek medical advice. People at higher risk are those over 50 years and immunocompromised patients.

As we do not know whether we are going to be infected or not, some preventative measures are:
applying insect repellent, such as Deet 50% to exposed skin, spraying clothes, shoes, bed nets with repellents containing permethrin, using bed nets, wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers, keeping doors and windows closed, staying indoors at dawn, dusk and night if possible, changing the water in the plant pots and animal bowls quite regurarly.

More information can be found here:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/wnv_factsheet.htm

More information on insect repellents can be found here:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/RepellentUpdates.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/prevention.htm

And frequently asked questions here:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/q&a.htm

Info for prevention in Greek:
http://www.travelforall.gr/faq.asp?facid=34