WEST NILE VIRUS ANXIETY IS EPIDEMIC . . .
Protect Yourself And Your Family With The Facts About This Mosquito-borne Disease

By Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

The media has given a tremendous amount of attention to the West Nile virus. As a result, physicians are being inundated with calls about mosquito bites, in spite of the fact that no one can tell if a particular bite carries the virus. Some parents are afraid to let their children leave the house for fear that they will be bitten.

In reality, the actual number of cases of infection is very low, and West Nile virus infection is very low, and West Nile virus infection is a relatively mild disease in healthy people. Only diabetics, the elderly, or people with suppressed immunity need be concerned about an exposure to West Nile turning into a more serious illness.

People who live a healthy lifestyle and eat a nutritionally excellent diet have little to fear, even if they were to get bitten by a mosquito carrying West Nile virus. The mortality rate in those affected with West Nile virus is about one in one thousand. Severe illness occurs in only one percent, and those one percent are typically those who have a weakened immune response.

In my view, the spread of the virus across the entire country is inevitable. It is likely that many of us will get exposed to it. Those of us who are exposed will most likely develop a minor illness and, as a result, receive lifetime immunity to it, just as we do with other diseases. As this mosquito-borne virus establishes itself throughout the United States, this immunity in humans will result in fewer cases over time.

In Africa, West Nile is primarily a disease of children. All adults and the elderly already have developed immunity from exposure at a young age. Data already suggest that, just as in Africa, the prevalence of the diminishing in areas where it has been present for a few years.

West Nile is here to stay. Spraying heavily populated areas with aerial treatments of organophosphate insecticides is unlikely to be effective at eliminating the risk of West Nile virus. It may postpone, but will not stop, the spread of West Nile. If your area is sprayed, stay indoors behind closed windows and sealed doors overnight.

Typical Symptoms

It is important to understand that a diagnosis for West Nile virus is not crucial. It is important only for surveillance, but not for patient care. There is no treatment for the disease, so it makes no difference whether you know if you have the disease or not. It's symptoms are similar to influenza (flu), and, like the flu, healthy people can recover easily from it. Like influenza (flu) and chicken pox, West Nile virus can be serious for those in poor health.

Only about 20 percent of those bitten by a mosquito carrying West Nile virus develop a mild illness. For most of us, when we eventually get bitten by a West Nile virus-carrying mosquito, the infection will be clinically silent and we will never realize we had it. Three to fifteen days after exposure (mosquito bite), those 20 percent who develop illness experience a sudden onset of fever, headache, body aches, weakness, twitching muscles, and (occasionally) eye pain. Symptoms generally last three to six days. Severe symptoms (encephalitis) are rare but many include stiff neck, confusion, and severe headache. These are symptoms of the serious variant of the infection.

Your Best Protection

The best protection against all diseases, including West Nile, is to eat a nutrient-dense diet that helps maintain a strong immune system as you age. In addition, some people on an ideal diet also may require supplementation of certain nutrients to maximize their immune system protection. For example, increased need for folate, vitamin B12, or vitamin D can develop because of aging or genetics, and can occur in spite of an excellent diet. Evaluation of homocysteine, B12, and vitamin D levels through appropriate blood testing is advisable in the aging population. Nutritional excellence is your primary protection against infectious disease, as well as heart disease and cancer.