The West Nile Virus Can Cause Permanent Paralysis In Younger People
The West Nile Virus Can Cause Permanent Paralysis In Younger People
The West Nile virus has been spreading among citizens of the United States for almost twenty years now, and to this day no vaccines or effective treatment options have become available to those who are infected. Lately, the West Nile virus has been infecting more people than normal, which has resulted in an increase in funding for vaccine research. However, the latest in West Nile-related research is not necessarily newsworthy. The American public, as a whole, does not seem interested in finding a vaccine for the mosquito-born illness. This is largely due to most Americans believing that the West Nile virus will only cause mild flu-like symptoms for a short period of time. This may be true. In fact, many people who become infected with the virus through mosquito bites may not experience any symptoms at all. People who are not elderly or do not have compromised immune systems may escape the worst symptoms of the virus. But you may be surprised at how damaging the West Nile virus can be for many young and healthy individuals. For example, one Arizona resident, thirty two years old, is now paralyzed for life after succumbing to West Nile infection. Another man, sixty four has fallen into a coma after suffering a heart attack caused by the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that less than one percent of individuals who become infected with the West Nile virus will experience neurological symptoms. According to Dr. Amesh Adalja, developing neurological symptoms from the virus is extremely rare. Despite this, a thirty two year old man became paralyzed from the waist down in response to the infection. Last August, another man was rushed to the emergency room after suffering a heart attack. Doctors quickly determined that West Nile was the cause. This man became comatose and remains that way to this day. 2017 is still seeing new cases of West Nile, so remember to keep your mosquito repellent handy.
Do you believe that increasing the amount of news reports that tell about individual cases of traumatic West Nile infections would cause people to be more mindful of mosquitoes?
