Medical Health Encyclopedia

West Nile virus


InjuryDiseasesNutritionPoison
SymptomsSurgeryTestSpecial Topic
Meninges of the brain
Mosquito, adult
Mosquito, adult
Mosquito, adult feeding on the skin
Mosquito, adult feeding on the skin
Mosquito, egg raft
Mosquito, egg raft
Mosquito, pupa
Mosquito, pupa
Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention
Symptoms

Mild disease, generally called West Nile fever, may cause some or all of the following symptoms:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Lack of appetite
  • Muscle aches
  • Nausea
  • Rash
  • Sore throat
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Vomiting

These symptoms usually last for 3 - 6 days.

More severe forms of disease, which can be life threatening, may be called West Nile encephalitis or West Nile meningitis, depending on what part of the body is affected. The following symptoms can occur, and need prompt attention:





Signs and tests

Signs of West Nile virus infection are similar to those of other viral infections. There may be no specific findings on a physical examination. However, up to half of patients with West Nile virus infection may have a rash.

Tests to diagnose West Nile virus include:

The most accurate way to diagnose this infection is with a serology test, which checks a blood or CSF sample for antibodies against the virus. More rapid techniques using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be used.



Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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