Science
·
is a mosquito-borne,
single-stranded RNA virus.
·
According to the World Health Organization, its “a member of
the flavivirus genus and belongs to the japanese encephalitis antigenic complex
of the family Flaviviridae”.
·
Transmission Culex species of mosquitoes act
as the principal vectors for transmission.
·
It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes
between and among humans and animals, including birds, which are the reservoir
host of the virus.
·
WNV can also spread through blood transfusion,
from an infected mother to her child, or through exposure to the virus in
laboratories.
·
• its not known to spread by contact with infected humans or
animals.
·
Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on
infected birds, which circulate the virus in their blood for a few days.
·
The virus eventually
gets into the mosquito’s salivary glands.
·
During later blood
meals (when mosquitoes bite), the virus may be injected into humans and
animals, where it can multiply and possibly cause illness.
·
WNV outbreak sites are
found along major bird migratory routes.
·
Symptoms The disease is
asymptomatic in 80% of the infected people.
·
The rest develop whats called the West Nile fever or severe
West Nile disease.
·
In these 20% cases, the
symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, nausea, rash, and
swollen glands.
·
Severe infection will lead to the encephalitis, meningitis,
paralysis, and even death.
·
It usually turns fatal in persons with
comorbidities and immuno-compromised persons (such as transplant patients).
·
Prevention This vector-borne disease can be
prevented by protecting one-self from mosquito bites.
·
Other steps are wearing
clothing that acts as a barrier to exposure to bites, reducing breeding sites,
covering water storage containers, eliminating puddles and drainage of places
where water accumulates, eliminating unusable
containers where the water pools, and controlling garbage in yards and gardens.
Comments