West Nile Virus ( Wnv ) Essay

The West Nile Virus is a virus that people can get from an infected mosquito bite. This virus disappeared and no one heard much of many people getting the virus for about 20 years. In the 1990´s there was a big comeback on the rise for the West Nile Virus. That also consisted of the infected bugs slowly but surely making their way to America from Africa, the Native country to this virus (Phillip).

The main point of the press release is to notify the public that the West Nile Virus has surfaced and is active. One of the sub-points is to inform the public of the current case and the number of cases over the years of people who have been infected with the West Nile Virus. Another sub-point is to give the description and signs of the West Nile Virus. Another sub-point is to notify the public where the West Nile Virus is coming from. Another sub-point what is causing the mosquitoes to breed and how to prevent the breeding of the mosquitoes to notify the public that there are two types of West Nile Virus. The West Nile encephalitis and the West Nile poliomyelitis are the two viruses the press release also notified the public of the signs and symptoms of the west Nile virus. What to do and who to contact once bitten the press release gives a statistic of number of cases from 2002 to 2011 (2012). The press release also notifies the public who is at the highest risk to becoming ill with this type of virus. The press release also gives other website to seek out more information regarding the West Nile Virus.

Ebola and West Nile virus have negative effects on human health. Both Ebola and West Nile virus ara capable of disabling protein receptors within cells. This allows the pathogen to continue to spread through the body, therefore evading the immune system. Ebola causes flu like symptoms, including fever, headaches, muscle pain, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, and even unexplained hemorrhaging. These symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure. Survival rate is dependant on the person's immune system due to the lack of a specific treatment. Symptoms are typically treated as they appear. West Nile virus, however, is different. Most people infected do not experience symptoms, while a small amount (1 in 5) will experience symptoms similar to Ebola. About 1 in 150 people will experience severe symptoms such as high fever, disorientation, coma,

Since 1999, the West Nile virus spread geographically throughout North America, except for two states, Alaska and Hawaii, which till this day does not have occurrences of WNV statistically shown by the CDC (2014). The introduction of the WNV resulted in the United States centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to initiate what was known as the National West Nile Virus Surveillance System for 2000. These objectives include:

West Nile Virus is a viral disease that is transmitted by mosquitos. West Nile is a virus that reacts very differently depending on the person that is infected with it. In fact, most people do not ever develop symptoms after being infected by the West Nile Virus via a mosquito bite. That means 70-80% of all people are asymptomatic after contracting this disease (Centers for Disease Control Website, 2015). That is a large number of people that do not present with any symptoms which to me that means this is a vastly under reported disease. If the person happens to be one of the unlucky 20% that dose present with symptoms then there is a wide range that this patient can present with. Most people that present with symptoms are going to have flu like symptoms things like Headache, fever, joint pain, diarrhea, and vomiting (Centers for Disease Control Website, 2015). When West Nile Virus is suspected then appropriate testing is ordered which is one of two ways either by blood test, or by cerebral spinal fluid (Centers for Disease Control Website, 2015)

The first recorded case of the West Nile virus was in the West Nile area (Uganda) of Africa in 1937 as stated by Peairs (2014) (para. 5). The virus has spread in recent years to Europe and the United States, causing illness in birds, horses, and humans. Peairs (2014) also stated that the first case of the virus in the U.S. was detected in 1999 in New York City (para. 8). Today, the virus has expanded across the U.S. and continues to infect thousands of people each year.

Those who have WNV will not show any signs or symptoms. About 20% of people will develop a mild infection called West Nile Fever and will experience fever, headache, body ache, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rash (West Nile Virus). If WNV gets severe many issues can occur to the infected. A very small percentage of infected people suffer from neurological infection, including inflammation of brain (encephalitis) and of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) (West Nile Virus). These signs include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, disorientation, coma, muscle jerking, seizures, and partial paralysis. The difference of how mild or severe WNV can affect you temporarily or sustain permanent damage.

As mentioned above, there was about 16,000 cases of neuroinvasive West Nile Virus reported between 1999 and 2012, and about 1,500 deaths during that period as well (Nasci). Even though these numbers are not as staggering as the 36,000 total cases of West Nile Virus reported during this time period, the effects caused by the neuroinvasive type is what makes it just as bad. The 16,000 neuroinvasive cases breaks down into only 1,140 cases a year, which is significantly less, but the fact that it is neuroinvasive and affects the nervous system, it still reaches the same importance, or even higher, than the 36,000 West Nile Virus cases. Also, from all these cases, there was unfortunately 1,500 deaths consequently, which is about 100 deaths a

West Nile Virus is an infectious brain disease that rapidly spread across the United States in 1999. The virus was first identified and named by Smithburn and colleagues in 1937 while they were working in the West Nile district of Uganda. The scientists did not venture to Uganda to look for West Nile Virus, but were seeking cases of African sleeping sickness. Smithburn came across a serum of a 37 year-old woman suffering from fever. The woman was thought to have the protozoan. The test proved to be negative for that pathogen, but positive for a new viral entity- West Nile Virus. While mostly being reported in foreign countries, West Nile Virus has also found itself on United States soil. A total of forty seven states have reported cases of

Surviving the neuroinvasive diseases does not mean that the battle is to be presumed over. Through many reports, it has been stated that people still experienced symptoms of the West Nile virus even a year after the diagnosis was made3. Long term consequences of the disease can be mental health problems such as depression, tremors, headaches, muscle and motor weakness and etc3. But researches have yet to come to a conclusion whether these consequences are due to the damage done by the virus or the body's own immune

The reservoir of the virus are birds of water and near-water systems, which explains the wide spread of the virus in nature. Seldom West Nile virus has a distinct seasons - late summer and fall. WNV also could be transmitted through blood transfusion, breast milk and

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a disease that generally is transmitted by mosquitos and can infect a number of organisms along with humans. Typically this virus reaches its peak of transmission when mosquitoes are most prevalent throughout the year, these months being from spring to fall. Fortunately, those who are infected with this illness generally do not show symptoms but those who do, can develop a fever which can sometimes result in a wide range of symptoms even death. It is important to take precautions during the peak months of mosquito abundance; precautions include wearing clothing that covers the body or even wearing bug repellent. It is important to understand this disease because it affects the human species and can result in death. Furthermore, we have seen a fluctuation in where this disease occurs over the years. We may see an outbreak in one state, but the following year may be different and no outbreak may occur. Lastly, the goal of this study is to investigate and determine what variables contribute to these fluctuations in this avian borne illness.

West Nile fever is a virus that is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. Humans become infected through the bite of a mosquito, however one can also contract the virus through an organ transplant, as well as blood (West Nile Fever, n.d.). There is an incubation period of three to fourteen days. Individuals who become infected with the West Nile virus do not usually present with any symptoms, but can have flu-like symptoms, or more severe cases will have signs of encephalitis, meningoencephalitis or meningitis. There are no current vaccines available and is now a major public health concern in Europe. The West Nile virus (WNV) made its appearance in the United Stated in 1999, New York City, and is now in 44 states, as well as District of

The clinical features that are commonly seen with WNV are mild flu-like symptoms, including a fever, headache, and myalgias. However, in cases that are neuroinvasive and result in West Nile Encephalitis, the clinical manifestations include high fever and altered mental status, seizures, focal neurological defects (including the speech and hearing abnormalities seen with this patient), neck stiffness, swollen lymph nodes, movement disorders (such as tremors), fatigue, and sometimes a nonpurulent maculopapular erythematous rash (Jeha & Sila, 2009 para. 7). It has been noted that when paralysis is accompanied by dysarthria and dysphagia, there is a higher risk of impending respiratory failure and need for intubation and mechanical ventilation,

Before 1999, the West Nile Virus was unknown in the Western hemisphere. Since then, however, each summer has shown it moving progressively across the United States starting in New York. Such recurrent and steady movement means that the virus is here to stay. Transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, the disease causes encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain. Although most cases are relatively mild and include symptoms like a fever and skin rash, those with more severe cases can exhibit convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. Some cases even prove fatal. There is no specific treatment for the virus, with most therapy coming under hospital oversight. In working to prevent the disease, several areas have taken to spraying against mosquitoes and recommended the