Are there long-term effects of West Nile virus?
• West Nile virus is a relatively new disease in North America, and therefore the long-term effects are not yet fully understood. Most persons with mild fever recover completely within days to weeks. For the few people who get the rare neurological form of the disease, recovery may take from weeks to months or years. Rarely, paralysis of an arm or leg can be permanent. • Age is a significant predictor of recovery in that those from the younger age groups are more likely to recover faster and more completely compared to those in the older age groups.
