Diagnosis and treatment of west nile infections

West Nile Virus (WNV) should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with symptoms of viral meningitis, encephalitis, and flaccid paralysis. The activity for 2003 started with human cases in July and is expected to continue spreading throughout the United States. Only 1 i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Ochsner journal 2003-01, Vol.5 (3), p.16-17
Main Author: Kemmerly, Sandra Abadie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Disease prevention
Encephalitis
Enzymes
Epidemics
Fatalities
Genomes
Illnesses
Infections
Inflammation
Medical diagnosis
Medical laboratories
Meningitis
Mosquitoes
Nervous system
Transplants & implants
Viral infections
West Nile virus
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:West Nile Virus (WNV) should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with symptoms of viral meningitis, encephalitis, and flaccid paralysis. The activity for 2003 started with human cases in July and is expected to continue spreading throughout the United States. Only 1 in 150 WNV infections result in severe neurologic illness, which is more common in the elderly population. Testing for the IgM antibody against WNV in both serum and spinal fluid is the diagnostic test of choice. Treatment is generally supportive, and no specific anti-viral agents have been determined in trials to be beneficial. Prevention includes the elimination of mosquito breeding sites and the use of pesticides and insect repellents.
ISSN:1524-5012