West Nile virus

West Nile Virus Microbiology BIOL-2420-031 Elizabeth Carter March 30, 2017 West Nile Virus One of the most talked about and publicized viruses in the world today is the West Nile Virus. Named for the West Nile district of Uganda, West Nile Virus was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937 (World Health Organization, 2011). Although well known today, prior to 1999 the West Nile Virus was virtually unheard of in the United States. However, in New York City 1999 that changed when we had our first recognized case. Each summer since then it has progressively spread across the continental US infecting 1000s along the way. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016),…

1. Description of the Disease: West Nile virus (10 points) 2. What causes it? (WNV) is found by mosquito bites. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds Scientific Name: Flavivirus (5 points) 3. Where is it found? All 48 lower states. not reported cases are Alaska and Hawaii. commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia (10 points) 4. How is it spread? Arthropod-borne virus. West Nile virus has been spread through blood transfusions, organ…

West Nile Virus is a virus that affects the brain and body. Many victims are infected with the West Nile Virus don’t know that they have it because there is no symptoms. Because there are no symptoms, it usually evolves to West Nile Fever or severe West Nile Disease. The people who develop West Nile Fever have symptoms of fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and occasionally a skin rash and swollen lymph glands (West nile virus, 2011). When people develop severe West Nile…

phagocytize, or swallow, and remove the pathogen-damaged nerve cells. They also activate proinflammatory cytokines which can unintentionally cause harm to healthy cells.1 Some symptoms, especially motor impairment, may persist even after the infection clears due to this damage of the nervous system. Vaccination is the primary means of West Nile Virus prevention in horses. There are currently 4 USDA licensed vaccines. The first time a horse receives the vaccine, it receives one dose followed by…

In the summer of 2012, my uncle came down with West Nile Encephalitis and passed away from it two months later. Subsequently, in the summer of 2014, my dad came down with West Nile fever, and survived. West Nile is a potentially deadly virus that is carried by birds and transmitted to mosquitos. Mosquitos then transmit it to horses and humans, and even back to the birds, which continues the cycle when the mosquitos bite the infected birds. Humans can then transmit it to other humans through…

In 2002 the West Nile virus epidemic was the largest human encephalitis even documented in the Western Hemisphere. The West Nile virus has been reported in 44 states and the District of Columbia; the reported human cases have been in 39 states and the District of Columbia. In the early 1990s, a virus subtype with greater epidemic potential and virulence facilitated the geographic expansion and westward spread of WNV; in 1999 the West Nile virus first appeared in the Western hemisphere. The broad…

West Nile virus has been confirmed in two Allegan County crows. These are two of 81 birds that have tested positive for West Nile virus from 33 Michigan counties to date in 2017. Residents are reminded that the best way to protect against West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses is to prevent mosquito bites. Symptoms of West Nile virus include headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. An estimated 80% of people infected with West Nile virus will never…

The environmental factors which may have influenced the emergence of West Nile Virus include hydrogeography, urbanization, precipitation, temperature, and vector species feeding habits. These factors seem to have increased the abundance of mosquitoes as well as infection rates in humans. The increase in temperatures increases the abundance of vector mosquito species since they can reproduce and survive for longer periods, which, in turn, increases the rate of transmission of the disease. During…

People are at the highest risk of exposure to infected mosquitoes from the months of July through October. Person of any age can contract the infection after being bitten by an infected mosquito.However, people over the age of 50 are at most risk of developing the serious disease and may even involve the nervous system. It is pertinent to mention that over 80% of persons infected with the West Nile Virus never fall ill. Even if someone falls ill, most of the cases are mild with symptoms such as…

In this report I will lay out the options that could be taken on the issue of the animals at the research facility that may have West Nile Virus. There are two positions that could be taken on this subject, the first position is encouraging the Army to take control of the research facility to euthanize the animals before the virus reaches the human population. The second position you could take is that the animals should not be euthanized. The position you should take on this subject is the…