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The risk of becoming infected with West Nile Virus is greatest during mosquito season; this can start as early as mid-April and last until the first hard frost in late September or October.
Many people infected with West Nile Virus have mild or no symptoms at all. Only about one in five individuals will develop mild, flu-like symptoms. If infection does cause illness, symptoms generally appear 2-15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Sudden onset of the following symptoms may be early signs of West Nile Virus, or other illnesses; medical attention should be sought to determine exact cause:
| Mild Cases |
Symptoms are flu-like and may include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Body Aches
- Mild rash
- Swollen lymph glands
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| More Severe Illness |
Symptoms include:
- Severe headache
- Stiff neck
- High fever
- Difficulty swallowing
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Loss of coordination
- Nausea
- Muscle weakness and paralysis
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| Serious health effects can occur in individuals with weakened immune systems, including encephalitis, meningitis, or acute flaccid paralysis. |
While persons of any age can be at risk of developing serious health effects from West Nile Virus, the overall risk of serious health effects increases with age. Also, people with weaker immune systems are at greater risk; they may include:
- People with chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, alcoholism, or heart disease
- People requiring medical treatments, such as chemotherapy, that may weaken the immune system
At this time there is no licensed vaccine to protect people against West Nile Virus. There is also no specific treatment, medication or cure for WNV; severe cases may require hospitalization and are treated with supportive therapies to ease symptoms and prevent secondary infection.
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