West Nile virus causes Nile fever, which is a viral infection caused by the bite of a Culex mosquito infected with West Nile virus. Although rare, Nile faithful are most often present in the elderly because they have an immune system. but compromise by facilitating infection and developing signs and symptoms of disease.
Symptoms of the Nile virus can appear at least 14 days after the bite of the infected mosquito and can range from a rare disease to meningitis, in which the virus damages and inflames the membrane that coats the brain and bone marrow, you may experience muscle pain, headaches and stiffness in the body.
Signs and symptoms of Nile fever usually appear 3 to 14 days after viral infection and may occur:
In the most severe cases, when the patient is undiagnosed and treated, or when the person has a weaker immune system, the virus can damage the nervous system and cause complications such as encephalitis, polio and meningitis, mainly characterized by neck stiffness.
The diagnosis of the Nile child is made by the family doctor or the infectious disease specialist by evaluating the signs and symptoms that the person presents, in addition to the results of blood tests, mainly serological, which aim to identify the presence . of antigens and antibodies against the virus.
In addition, your doctor requests a complete blood formula, as you may normally see decreased number of lymphocytes and hemoglobin, in addition to measuring C-reactive protein (PCR) and evaluating CSF, especially in cases of suspected meningitis.
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may order imaging tests to assess the severity of your condition and recommend a CT scan as well as an MRI.
Currently, there is no specific treatment to treat the Nile child and effectively remove the virus from the body, so the treatment recommended by the doctor helps relieve symptoms of disease, discomfort, nausea, vomiting and others, so your doctor may prescribe medications such as acetaminophen in order to control hair and relieve headaches For example.
In more severe cases, you may need to stay in the hospital to improve intravenous treatment to hydrate, and you may also need to use machines to help you breathe.