West Nile Virus Symptoms

West Nile virus may cause few symptoms — and sometimes serious health problems. Know the West Nile virus symptoms and when to seek help.

Mosquitoes spread West Nile virus, like Zika, dengue, yellow fever, and several other disease. If you are infected with West Nile, the odds are you’ll experience few serious symptoms. But while West Nile virus is relatively harmless for many people, some can suffer serious health problems.

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West Nile can also cause brain damage and even death. Knowing what West Nile virus symptoms are and which ones indicate you need immediate medical care could save your life.

First documented in Uganda in the l937, West Nile virus was later found in Europe and the Middle East, India, parts of Asia, and Australia. But it wasn’t detected in North America until l999, when West Nile virus infections turned up in New York City, causing acute inflammation of the brains in 62 people and several deaths.

Since that time, more than 50,000 cases of West Nile virus have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including more than 10,000 people with neurological complications from the infection. Almost 2,000 Americans have died from the virus.

The CDC notes that many more cases of West Nile virus have no doubt occurred but were never reported. The reason is simple: The majority of people, 70 to 80 percent, infected with the West Nile virus don’t feel sick. Only one in five will experience fever and other West Nile virus symptoms. Even fewer have severe complications.

In addition to fever, the most common West Nile virus symptoms include:

• Body aches
• Headaches
• Joint pains
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash

If you experience symptoms of the infection, you’ll likely recover completely, although you may feel tired and weak for up to a few months, according to the CDC.

In about one percent of people infected with West Nile, the mosquito-borne virus crosses the blood-brain barrier, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease points out. That can cause life-threatening neurologic illnesses such as encephalitis (acute inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord).

The West Nile Virus symptoms of neurologic illness include:

• Headaches
• High fever
• Neck stiffness
• Disorientation
• Tremors
• Seizures
• Paralysis
• Coma

About 4 percent people who experience neurological symptoms from West Nile virus die.

Although West Nile virus can make people of any age ill, people over 60 appear to be at the highest risk for more severe symptoms and disease. Some health conditions — including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease — also put you at an increased risk for complications from West Nile.

It takes about two to six days for symptoms of West Nile virus to become apparent, but in some cases it takes up to two weeks. If you develop West Nile virus symptoms, contact your doctor. Diagnosis occurs after your doctor takes your health history, performs a physical exam, and does laboratory tests. While there’s no specific treatment for West Nile virus, most people who are symptomatic start to feel better in a few days.

If you have severe symptoms, it’s important to get help right away. People who have severe West Nile illness often need to be hospitalized and receive intravenous fluids. They may also require a ventilator and medication to help prevent other infections, such as pneumonia.

No vaccine available prevents West Nile. The best way to avoid infection with the virus is to minimize your possible exposure to mosquito bites. Use insect repellent and wear protective clothing when you go outdoors. You should also eliminate areas of standing water around your yard in which mosquitoes can breed.

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