Evergreen medical profile

West Nile virus

This page is medical background from WHO/CDC citations. It is not current-event intelligence.

Pathogen: West Nile virus
Transmission: Mosquitoes, mainly Culex. Birds are the usual hosts. Person-to-person spread is not the usual route (WHO/ECDC).
Incubation: Usually 2–6 days, sometimes longer (ECDC).
Typical symptoms: Most infections are mild or unnoticed. Fever, headache, and body aches; a small fraction develop neurological disease.
Treatment: Supportive care (WHO).
Vaccine: No human vaccine in routine use (WHO).
Historical fatality: Neurological disease can be fatal, especially in older adults (ECDC).

Authoritative sources