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:
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:
A small number of cases of West Nile encephalitis have been fatal. This has been most common in the elderly.