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West Nile Virus

            The West Nile Virus has just recently been affecting the United States. It is an incurable virus that has killed many people in this country already. A close call occurred in Little Rock when a bird carrying the disease was found in the Governor's backyard. West Nile is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). These can prove to be deadly. West Nile virus is spread to humans by being bitten by an infected mosquito. A mosquito becomes infected by biting a bird that has the virus. As of now, mosquitoes are the only insect known to carry the disease and are the only known way of humans contracting the disease. There have currently been 25 cases of West Nile Virus in Arkansas and no deaths but a total of 3,737 cases in the United States alone and 211 deaths. The state with the most cases was Illinois at 776 cases and 48 deaths.
             The West Nile Virus is named after the West Nile region of Uganda where the virus was first isolated in 1937. Outbreaks of West Nile virus first occurred in Africa, Egypt, Israel, Asia, Romania, Russia and France. Before 1999, however, West Nile virus had never before been found in the Americas. The most likely reason for its presence here is that the virus was brought to America by a bird carrying the disease that was imported or an infected person returning from a country where the virus is common and then a mosquito biting that person and giving it to someone else. .
             You can reduce your chances of catching West Nile Virus by protecting yourself from mosquito bites. To avoid mosquito bites you can apply insect repellent containing DEET when your outdoors, wear long sleeved clothes when possible and long pants with DEET on them, try to stay indoors at dawn dusk and early evening when mosquitoes are at their peak biting times, or you can limit the number of places available for mosquitoes to multiply by eliminating standing water which is a source for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.


Essays Related to West Nile Virus

1. West Nile Virus

... and people. The only way the mosquito gets the virus is if the mosquito bites a bird who is carrying the West Nile virus ("West Nile Virus Symptoms, History, and prevention of the West Nile Virus" 1). The West Nile virus can also be spread another way and this is by organ transplants and infected blood transfusions ("Questions and Answers About West Nile Virus" 1). This way of getting the West Nile virus is very unlikely considering the fact that so many ... of the West Nile virus occurred. The woman who first had the West Nile virus came from the district of Uganda ("What you should kn...

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  • Grade Level: High School

2. West Nile

... avoid possible bird suspects.1 Infection of other possible reservoir host has extended the encompassing transmission cycle of the West Nile Virus. Horses have been fairly well documented to be especially susceptible to West Nile. Approximately forty percent of the horses infected with West Nile Virus die as a result of the disease. For this reason, extensive vaccination plans have been employed to protect ... the horse population. While horses vaccinated against eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis and Venezuelan equine encephalitis are not protected from West Nile Vi...

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  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. West Nile Virus

... United States, Romania, Israel, Volgograd, etc.; while lineage 2 viruses have been limited to endemic enzootic infections in Africa (Marfin 2001; Hubalek 2001) Studies have shown that the West Nile Virus replicates in a wide variety of cell cultures, including chicken, duck, and mouse embryo cells and continuous cell lines from monkeys, humans, pigs, rodents, amphibians, and insects, but ... New York share. Most people bitten by an infected mosquito never get sick, and most only suffer flu-like symptoms, making it sometimes hard to detect if you have the West Nile virus. West Nile fever i...

  • Word Count: 1904
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Graduate

4. West Nile Virus

... the unlucky people that does indeed get bit by an infected mosquito, the symptoms might not tell you exactly what is wrong with you. Most people who are infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms or experience only mild illness. If an illness does occur, the symptoms generally appear within three to fifteen days of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Most ... people who are infected with West Nile virus either have no symptoms or experience mild illness such as fever, headache and body aches before fully recovering(WNV Canada). Some people may also develop a mild rash or swollen l...

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  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

5. West Nile

... East when you thought a bee stung you. Minutes later sir you hit the ground an when I opened the palm of your hand; there was a smashed mosquito. "Hum I must have the West Nile virus its common in this area of the Middle East quick you need to get me to a doctor." Said the old man. That would be a traveler and his partner back in ... in a rash its time to go see a professional to check you out. Other signs that could be West Nile are stiffness, muscle weakness, and stupor disorientation. Symptoms last only a few days to a week. The West Nile Virus is a virus that is carried from a mosqu...

  • Word Count: 627
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Disease Control and West Nile Virus

... accumulate standing water, their breeding places can be literally anywhere, therefore it is vital to alleviate breeding spots throughout their neighborhoods; but more than that to educate themselves on the West Nile Virus by checking out your local mosquito control agency. These sites contain a wealth of information on regulating and vector surveillance in their particular state. My plan of action would allow ... the public to be aware of pathogens related to the West Nile Virus and other health issues it poses by offering: prevention through knowledge by directing their attention to the...

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  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Ebola Virus

... almost all parts of the earth, including the Arctic and infect nearly every form of life including unicellular organisms to human beings. First, it is important to know what exactly a virus is. A virus is a small capsule made of lipid membranes enclosing certain proteins. This capsule contains usually one or two strands of either RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) or DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid). DNA and ... . This is distinguishing feature of viruses in comparison to the host, which has both DNA and RNA. The virus exists for one purpose - to duplicate. For my project I will be talking about four vir...

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  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

8. The Problem with Animal Captivity

... serum banks and to develop medical record-keeping systems (McNamara, 2007). This has proven extremely beneficial to identifying and monitoring the spread of deadly, infectious diseases. For example, the West Nile Virus was first identified at a zoological institution. Prior to the identity of the disease, wild crows began to die in the United States from unknown causes. It was not until ... of the public health paradigm and that because zoological institutes were not within the federal agency jurisdictions, the diagnosis of the West Nile Virus was much slower in coming than might have o...

  • Word Count: 1053
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. The Zoo Animal Controversy

... serum banks and to develop medical record-keeping systems (McNamara, 2007). This has proven extremely beneficial to identifying and monitoring the spread of deadly, infectious diseases. For example, the West Nile Virus was first identified at a zoological institution. Prior to the identity of the disease, wild crows began to die in the United States from unknown causes. It was not until ... of the public health paradigm and that because zoological institutes were not within the federal agency jurisdictions, the diagnosis of the West Nile Virus was much slower in coming than might have o...

  • Word Count: 873
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

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