Enquire Now

Blog Details

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.

 

 


Share:

Comments