What are Common Symptoms of West Nile Virus?
In people that become ill, most will have mild symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, and occasionally skin rashes, or swollen lymph nodes. However, this virus can cause serious illness including encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and/or meningitis (swelling of the brain lining). For the serious illness, symptoms may include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, and tremors, disorientation, convulsions and coma. Severe infections can result in permanent brain damage or, in rare cases, even death. At this time, prevention is the only way to fight this virus. There is a vaccine that can be used for horses, however, the vaccine for humans is still years away.
