Kerala West Nile fever: State govt issues alert after rise in number of cases

Kerala’s health department has issued an alert after rise in cases of West Nile fever in three districts: Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kozhikode.

Recently five cases have been reported in Kerala, out of which 4 have already recovered. The state government has urged all districts to implement stricter mosquito control measures, Including intensified pre-monsoon cleaning efforts and heightened mosquito surveillance activities.

What is West Nile fever?

West Nile fever is a disease caused by the West Nile virus (WNV most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. West Nile Virus (WNV) is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), West Nile virus can cause a fatal neurological disease in humans. However, approximately 80 percent of people who are infected will not show any symptoms. 

WNV is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia.

How does it spread?

The virus is transmitted from the bites of  Culex mosquitoes who get infected when they feed on infected birds. The virus remains in their blood for a few days.

In rare cases, it can also spread through organ transplantation, blood transfusion, or from mother to child during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Symptoms of West Nile Fever?

The symptoms that last from  3-14 days include fever,  accompanied with headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting, occasional skin rash and swollen lymph glands.

The symptoms of severe disease (also called neuroinvasive disease, such as West Nile encephalitis or meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor (near-unconsciousness), disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.

Treatment of the disease

There is no specified treatment as of yet. Recovery from this illness mostly depends on a person’s overall health and age. People with weak immunity symptoms are at higher risk for severe complications. 

While milder cases can be treated with over-the-counter medicines for fever and pain relief, severe cases would require hospitalization, IV fluids, respiratory support and prevention of secondary infections.
There is no vaccine available for the infection caused by the West Nile virus.