In 1937, in the country of Uganda, a woman was diagnosed with what we now call "West Nile Virus." She was an adult that showed symptoms like fever, muscle weakness, and confusion . The disease spread fairly quickly to the countries of Egypt, Israel, France, Australia, and most recently, the North America . West Nile Virus has infected thousands and has a high fatal risk. There have been approximately 21,000 cases reported and 702 deaths since the year 1999 in North America due to the effects of West Nile Virus .
This number reported with West Nile Virus is minimal compared to the actual amount of people infected with West Nile, as most people infected do not report that they have been. Every year, more and more people are being infected with West Nile, resulting in more and more deaths that could be easily prevented. People in the United States and all around the world need to recognize that the West Nile Virus is very dangerous and can become even more serious in the future if it isn't controlled efficiently.
West Nile Virus is usually maintained in birds, particularly the American Robin and Crow (Wikipedia, 1). Mosquitoes bite dead or alive infected birds, feeding on the bird's blood and also ingesting the West Nile Virus. The mosquito then bites other birds and transmits the virus to them. The infected mosquitoes could also bite other animals, such as humans, horses, cats, rabbits, skunks, and chipmunks and transmit the disease over to them . Most mammals that are infected act like the givers and takers of the disease, making the infected mosquitoes act like the transmitters or "middle men." There is no known vaccine for humans, however; there is a cure for horses .
The West Nile virus "transmit cycle" needs only one mosquito to bite one infected bird, making the mosquito infected. The infected mosquito can then bite as many animals as it wants, infecting all of them with West Nile Virus, and also making them new "suppliers" for it. Human beings are perfect examples of possible "suppliers." Some of the known symptoms of West Nile Virus are the following: fever, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, inflammation of the brain or spinal cord, or possible complete blindness . There are no positive effects or results for West Nile Virus, only negatives. If West Nile Virus died out one day everywhere in the world, it would only be for the better. No harm would come from it.
In order for us to decrease the number of people and animals being infected, we must purge the "transmitters" of the disease. Eliminating the transmitters of West Nile Virus will decrease the amount of animals infected by them. We cannot kill all mosquitoes, but we can use effective mosquito repellent when we travel outside or feel like there are a large amount of mosquitoes in an area.
Standing water lying around the house should be drained immediately as mosquitoes tend to breed in it. Dead birds should be cleaned up the correct way. They should be reported to the local health departments so that they can be tested on to see if they have West Nile. Being aware of West Nile in and around the community will greatly help the fight against West Nile Virus. These solutions and others will definitely protect us and other animals from the threat of West Nile.
