West Nile Virus: An Old Tale, New Mystery

<p> <ul> <li> West Nile Virus (WNV), belongs to the Flavivirus family, is considered an endemic disease in many states including Florida. </li> <li> In the last decade, the virus has been prominently reported in the Southern and Midwest States. </li> <li> The disease is most prevalent during the summer to fall month periods due to elevated temperatures leading to enhanced vector transmission. </li> <li> WNV is acquired via the bite of an infected mosquito particularly the Culex species, and is considered as the vector for the disease. </li> <li> Equines and humans are incidental hosts of WNV and disease transmission from these sources are rare. There are various human risk factors that are associated with WNV. </li> <li> Disease prevalence is reported to be equal among the sexes but peak incidence and mortality rates are seen among those who are 50 years of age and older, with a reported increase of encephalitis or meningitis variants of the disease. </li> <li> Comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illnesses have not been linked to WNV prevalence and disease outcomes. </li> </ul></p>