West Nile virus

18.10.2024

West Nile virus

Why in the news?                        

Ukraine is grappling with a severe outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV), with health officials raising alarms as the death toll rises.

About West Nile virus:

• It is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the family Flaviviridae.
• It was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937.
• It is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it typically spikes between the summer and autumn months of June and September.
• Transmission: Human infection is most often the result of bites from infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which circulate the virus in their blood for a few days.
• The virus may also be transmitted through contact with other infected animals, their blood, or other tissues.

Symptoms Of the West Nile virus:

○Infection with WNV is either asymptomatic (no symptoms) in around 80% of infected people, or can lead to West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease.

○About 20% of people who become infected with WNV will develop West Nile fever and symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, occasionally with a skin rash.

• So far, 19 countries, including Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Türkiye and Kosovo have reported outbreaks.
• Treatment: No vaccine is available for WNV and only supportive treatments can be provided to neuroinvasive WNV patients.

                                                              Source: Down to earth

Consider the following statements regarding the West Nile virus:

1. It is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the family Flaviviridae.

2. It was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of south korea in 1937.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A.1 only

B.2 only

C.Both 1 and 2

D.Neither 1 nor 2

Answer A