Symptoms
In the majority of infected people, the disease progresses without symptoms and is not noticed at all. Only about one in five of the infected people experience any symptoms at all. These symptoms are then very similar to influenza, which is why West Nile fever is often not identified as such, but falsely dismissed as influenza.
The symptoms appear about 2-14 days after infection. Typical symptoms are chills, fever, headache and aching limbs, conjunctivitis, dizziness and vomiting. The symptoms start suddenly and usually end within six days even without treatment.
Skin rashes all over the body are also common. In some cases, inflammation of the meninges or encephalitis may also occur in the course of the infection. These can theoretically also be fatal.
However, this is rare. Affected are then old people or people with a suppressed immune system. If the central nervous system is affected, paralysis can also occur, which unfortunately has a poor prognosis for recovery.
Complications
The dreaded complication of West Nile fever infection is an infestation of the nervous system. Initially, an inflammation of the meninges can occur, this is called meningitis. Meningitis is characterized by fever, headache, painful neck stiffness and clouding of consciousness.
Furthermore, nausea, paralysis and seizures can occur. The inflammation can also spread to the brain (encephalitis). In such a case, intensive medical treatment is always necessary.
Another complication is paralysis, which can occur in the context of West Nile Fever, although rarely. These paralyses are usually irreparable and remain after recovery. The central nervous system is particularly affected in older patients, but also in people with a suppressed immune system.
These are also more likely to suffer from a rare, fatal outcome of the disease. Encephalitis is the medical term for an inflammation of the brain. This is the most dangerous complication of West Nile fever infection, but fortunately it is quite rare at less than one percent.Encephalitis is associated with high fever, increased sensitivity to light and disturbances of consciousness. It should always be treated with intensive care.
