Symptoms and treatment

What will happen if I become infected?

Most infected people don’t even realize they are carrying the virus because they have no symptoms. The risks vary with age. Complications are very unlikely among children, but more common for those over 50 and for those whose immune systems are compromised by another illness.

Mild cases

One infected person in 5 will present mild symptoms such as headaches and fever, sometimes accompanied by body aches, pimples or red spots on the skin. Symptoms take from 3 to 15 days to appear.

Acute cases

Only 1 infected person in 150 (less than 1%) will develop a serious disease such as encephalitis or neurological problems that in some cases are permanent. People with unusually severe headaches, high fever, a stiff neck, mental confusion or muscular weakness should seek immediate medical attention—at a hospital, if necessary. West Nile Virus may be fatal, but only in very rare cases.

Can the infection be treated?

At the moment, there is no treatment, remedy or vaccine effective against WNV, but palliative care can stabilize or improve the symptoms of those who are hospitalized. Tranquilizers, IV fluids, oxygen and preventive physiotherapy are commonly used, but do not directly attack the virus.