West Nile Fever : Cases In Three Districts Of Kerala
Kerala’s health department recently reported West Nile fever cases in three districts.
- West Nile Fever is a disease caused by the West Nile Virus (WNV).
- WNV is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae.
- Birds are the natural hosts of WNV.
- The virus is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and West Asia.
- It can cause a deadly neurological disease in humans.
- It is named after the West Nile district of Uganda, where it was first identified in 1937.
- It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes get the virus when they bite an infected bird.
- There is no evidence that WNV can be spread directly from one person to another.
- But there have been a few cases where it has spread through organ transplants.
- Symptoms:
- Most people infected by the virus are asymptomatic (no symptoms).
- Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting, occasional skin rash, and swollen lymph glands.
- Treatment: There is no medicine or vaccine available against the WNV.
- Treatment is based on supportive care involving hospitalisation, intravenous fluids, respiratory support, and prevention of secondary infections.
