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West Nile Virus


Symptoms & Signs

What are the signs and symptoms of the infection?

Most people who become infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms. For people who do develop symptoms, most will be mild and can include:

  • fever
  • headache
  • body aches
  • skin rash
  • swollen glands
  • These symptoms generally last less than a week. Many people do have ongoing fatigue for a longer period.

    Less than 1% of infected people may develop a more serious illness. Among this very small number, there is a 3 to 15% rate of death. Most of those who are at risk of dying are adults over the age of 65.

    Symptoms of West Nile encephalitis include:

  • headache
  • high fever
  • muscle weakness
  • stiff neck
  • mental status changes
  • nausea and vomiting
  • coma
  • tremors
  • paralysis
  • seizures
  • A small number of cases of West Nile encephalitis have been fatal. This has been most common in the elderly.


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