Long-term health effects from West Nile illnesses

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People need to take West Nile more seriously.

Study shows long-term health effects from West Nile illnesses

By Infectious Diseases Society of America Aug 16, 2006, 15:44

More than a year after being diagnosed with a West Nile virus

infection, half of the patients have ongoing health complaints

including fatigue, memory problems, headaches, depression, and

tremors, according to an article in the Sept. 15 issue of Clinical

Infectious Diseases. The study reports that those patients who were

diagnosed with the relatively benign manifestation of West Nile fever

are just as likely to suffer later health problems as are those who

were hospitalized with more severe West Nile virus-related illnesses

such as encephalitis or meningitis.

People can become infected with West Nile virus when they are bitten

by a mosquito that has previously bitten an infected bird. The virus

was first found in the United States in 1999. In 2003, there were

more than 9,000 human cases of West Nile virus–related disease,

including 264 deaths...

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