Treatment for WNV

As of now, there is not a real set in stone treatment for those who are diagnosed with the West Nile Virus. There have been studies done in hopes of finding a cure for it. Scientists have found that if a young person is bitten and infected with by West Nile, they do not show really any symptoms nor do they get sick and have to be hospitalized and treated. "Advanced age is the most important risk factor for death, and patients older than 70 years of age are at particularly high risk"(Petersen). Elderly people are much more common to get very sick from West Nile and some cases can be fatal because their immune systems are not as strong as a young persons, therefore they cannot fight off infections easily. Studies have shown that there is perhaps a possible cure for West Nile, which is human intravenous immunoglobulin. A study has shown, "In Israel in 2002, a women with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who was comatose as a result of West Nile encephalitis recovered after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin" (Agrawal). Along with the intravenous immunoglobulin, there are many other ways scientists are testing to see if they will be effective in a cure for West Nile, but so far none have been consistent. After testing mice in a lab, scientists have found out that many of these possible methods of a cure are only effective if the infected mice are treated with the anti-body within 2-3 days of the time of infection. The results of the death rate in mice went up to only 50% of survival after day 4. Since there is no consistent cure for the West Nile, they are still searching long and hard for a new breakthrough to come to surface to hopefully keep more patients safe and save them from possible death from the virus.



Agrawal, Amy G. "The Journal of Infectious Diseases." Human Immunoglobulin as a Treatment for West Nile Virus     Infection. N.p., 23 June 2003. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.
Petersen, Lyle R., and Anthony A. Marfin. "West Nile Virus: A Primer for the Clinician."Annals.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.

Prevention of West Nile Virus

As you have read from previous posts, the West Nile Virus is a very serious thing that has become an endemic across warm climates in America and around the world. So far, there is really no specific cure for this virus only way to help make it better or prevent future infections. One way of prevention that has become quite popular across our country is the method of ariel spraying of pyrethrin, which is a mosquito adulticide. Adulticiding is the way that mosquitos and the spread of the virus is controlled. This method a prevention is so far the most effective one. The spray is distributed from an airplane or from trucks equipped with the technology to spray areas evenly and with the correct amount. The numbers of cases of WNV in states such as California have gone down tremendously since doing the aerial spray. Although this method is highly effective, the decision to do the spray is crucial. The spray has many different chemicals in it. "The applied compound was Evergreen EC 60–6 insecticide (MGK, Minneapolis, MN, USA), a product composed of 6% pyrethrin/60% piperonyl butoxide (8)(Efficacy of Ariel Spraying)." The  pyrethin adulticide is only sprayed on the areas that are at the highest risk or have the highest numbers of cases already. They will not do this spray just on any area that is typically not exposed to the West Nile Virus because there have been more cases reported of asthma related health problems in people from being exposed to high amounts of chemicals related back to the spraying. More typical and easy ways to prevent being infected with the virus is to apply insect or mosquito repellent when going out side, avoid being outside during dawn and dusk, wear loose clothing because mosquitos are able to bite through thin clothes, empty things that collect water frequently, and ensure that all windows and doors are securely sealed to prevent mosquitos from entering the house.  

Here is an image of the spray coming from a truck. 

This is a picture of the ariel spray coming from an airplane 

West Nile Virus: Reducing the Risk. By: Bren, Linda, FDA Consumer, 03621332, Jan/Feb2003, Vol. 37, Issue 1; http://ezp.tccd.edu:2134/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0a5eed55-d669-4f58-adb3-e0ae736c9f4c%40sessionmgr15&vid=4&hid=17

Ryan M. Carney, School of Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, 60 College St, PO Box 208034, New Haven, CT 06520-8034, USA;

Testing for West Nile Virus

When testing for the viral infection West Nile Virus, which is becoming more and more common, there are a few methods of testing. However, there is one method that has surfaced that is the most useful in detecting the virus early on before it progresses. This method envoles nucleic acid in plasma in blood testing and is formally called nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT). As of 2006, this method had not been used on symptomatic patients and was only being tested on blood samples from donors. On the other hand, serology is the most common way of diagnostic testing for West Nile Virus. Doctors are beginning to test patients using both of these methods though. They will get a serum sample along with a plasma sample from patients who are suspected and being tested to see if they do have the West Nile Virus.















This is a graph showing the different outcomes of the different ways of testing for WNV in a study done in 2003. Each method of testing is targeting a different part of the genome of this virus.  A recent study on rhesus macaques helped researchers a little bit more about the timeline of the west nile virus. They discovered that the "precise time of WNV infection was known, have
suggested that central nervous system involvement occurs during the second or third week after the initial virus infection. In fact, many patients with symptoms of West Nile encephalitis
already have WNV-specific IgM antibodies in their serum and/or CSF when they are first admitted to the hospital [10, 12, 24]. This is probably one reason why it is uncommon to isolate WNV from blood or CSF of West Nile encephalitis cases at the time of hospitalization(674 Experimental Infection of Rhesus Macaques)." Although it is harder to understand the virus in the human body they are getting closer based on experimental studies.




Tilley, Peter; Journal of Infectious Diseases;  Nucleic Acid Testing for West Nile Virus RNA in Plasma Enhances Rapid Diagnosis of Acute Infection in Symptomatic Patients. 15 May 2006  Vol. 193 Issue 10, p1361-1364, 4p; http://ezp.tccd.edu:2134/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=108&sid=6d56c7aa-07de-46e0-9b4b-54043b83bcb3%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=syh&AN=20808835

Journal of Infectious Diseases; Experimental Infection of Rhesus Macaques with West Nile Virus:Level and Duration of Virema and Kinetics of the Antibody Response After Infection; 2/15/2004, Vol. 189 Issue 4, p669-676, 8p.; http://ezp.tccd.edu:2134/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6d56c7aa-07de-46e0-9b4b-54043b83bcb3%40sessionmgr115&vid=8&hid=25

Detailed Record

Introduction to West Nile Virus

The first case of West Nile Virus was in 1937 in Uganda, Africa, and since then the virus has spread to countries all around the world. West Nile is a virus that is most commonly spread through the bite of a mosquito that carries this virus. The way that mosquitos are infected is by biting a bird that carries the infection, resulting in them now beginning to be a transmitter. There are two lineages of West Nile Virus. Lineage I, is the one that is most susceptible to humans encountering. In fact, all of the cases of infected people in North America have been related to lineage I. Lineage II is in enzootic foci in Africa where there have been no reported outbreaks as of June 15, 2004. Although one lineage may be more viral and threatening to human infection, both lineages are neuroinvasive.

Most of those who are bitten and infected with the virus are asymptomatic, meaning they do not produce any symptoms of being ill. Those who do show symptoms are often described as flu-like. The incubation period of the virus developing in the infected body can vary between 3 and 14 days. Symptoms will occur from about 3 to 6 days. Symptoms may also include headaches, fever, chills, and backache. Those who experience these symptoms should seek medical attention and be tested. Patients may not test positive for this until weeks after being infected and showing symptoms.

There is no treatment of West Nile Virus to cure patients. There are only ways to reduce symptoms and prevent further infection. A vaccine is being developed to help prevent to virus from infecting humans. Recently, there have been cities that have had high infection rates that do a ariel spray to help prevent infection.

Lewis, Mark; Bulletin of Mathematical Biology; Jan2006, Vol. 68 Issue 1, p3-23, 21p, 3 Graphs; Traveling Waves and Spread Rates for a West Nile Virus Model.;http://ezp.tccd.edu:2134/ehost/detail?vid=10&hid=10&sid=4aaa9d61-29bd-4128-87ff-912c72a0c5bd%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=syh&AN=28463816

American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy; West Nile virus infection; 6/15/2004, Vol. 61 Issue 12, p1235-1241, 7p. http://ezp.tccd.edu:2134/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=10&sid=4aaa9d61-29bd-4128-87ff-912c72a0c5bd%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=syh&AN=13383668