West Nile Virus
(WNV)
Barbara Roszak, MPH student
Walden University
PUBH 6165-1
Instructor: Dr. Rebecca Heick
Spring, 2010
Objectives
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History of West Nile Virus
What is West Nile Virus
How is it transmitted
Who’s at risk
Symptoms of Disease
Prevention
Questions
History of West Nile Virus
First discovered in 1937 in the
West Nile region of Uganda
History
Between 1937 –
1998 also found
in Israel,
France, South
Africa, Algeria,
Romania, and
Russia.
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010b). West Nile virus: Questions and
answers. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/q&a.htm )
1999
West Nile enters the US
June – Dead Crows in NYC
August – First Human Cases
1999
West Nile enters the US
Early September –
 2 people die
 5 Bronx Zoo birds die
Mid-September –
 West Nile Virus
was confirmed
What is West Nile Virus &
How is it transmitted?
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A mosquito-borne virus
Mosquitoes infect birds,
people, and animals
Only female mosquitoes
bite
Usual Transmission Cycle
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010b). West Nile virus: Questions and
answers. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/q&a.htm )
Who’s at risk?
1999 West Nile Virus Activity
in the United States
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007a). West Nile virus: Statistics, Surveillance,
and Control 1999. Retrieved April 18, 2010, from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/Mapsactivity/surv&control99Maps.htm)
How Fast WNV Spread
2004 West Nile Virus Activity
in the United States
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007b). West Nile virus: Statistics, Surveillance, and
Control 2004. Retrieved April 18, 2010, from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/Mapsactivity/surv&control04Maps_PrinterFriendly.htm)
So Who is at Risk?
Everyone
Symptoms of Disease
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Most people are asymptomatic
20% of those infected develop mild
symptoms:
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Fever
Headache
Body aches
1 in 150 people infected develop a more
serious illness:
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High fever / stiff neck / headache
Muscle weakness / tremor
Confusion / disorientation
Convulsions / paralysis / coma
Prevention
Avoid Mosquito bites
Prevention
Eliminate
mosquito
breeding
sites
Prevention

Dispose of used
tires and drill holes
in the bottom of
tire swings
Prevention
Prevention
Prevention
Prevention
Prevention
Prevention
Prevention
Prevention
Prevention
Prevention
(New York State Department of Health. (2009b). Mosquitoes and West Nile virus: Fight the
bite. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.health.state.ny.us/publications/2731/ )
Prevention
Together we can reduce the
risk of West Nile Virus
Questions
Sources for further reading
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Boyle, R.H. (2000). Audubon feature: Flying fever. National
Audubon Society, Inc. New York, New York.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
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Cornell Cooperative Extension. (n.d.) What’s all the buzz about
mosquitoes. Found at
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/mosquitobro/files/m
osquito.pdf
Kuwana, E. (2005). Neuroscience for kids: West Nile virus
spreads. Found at
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/wn.html
New York State Department of Health Website at
http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/west_nile_virus/
References
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Boyle, R.H. (2000). Audubon feature: Flying fever. National Audubon Society, Inc. New York,
New York.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2004). West Nile virus – background: Virus
history and distribution. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/background.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006). West Nile virus: What you need to know.
Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/wnv_factsheet.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007a). West Nile virus: Statistics,
Surveillance, and Control 1999. Retrieved April 18, 2010, from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/Mapsactivity/surv&control99Maps.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007b). West Nile virus: Statistics,
Surveillance, and Control 2004. Retrieved April 18, 2010, from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/Mapsactivity/surv&control04Maps_PrinterFriendly.
htm
References Continued
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010a). Surveillance for human West Nile virus
disease – United States, 1999-2008. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 59(SS-2) 1-18.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010b). West Nile virus: Questions and answers.
Retrieved April 15 2010, from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/q&a.htm
Cornell Cooperative Extension. (n.d.) What’s all the buzz about mosquitoes. Retrieved April 20,
2010, from http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/mosquitobro/files/mosquito.pdf
Kuwana, E. (2005). Neuroscience for kids: West Nile virus spreads. Retrieved April 15, 2010,
from http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/wn.html
Nash, D., Mostashari, F., Fine, A., Miller, J., O’Leary, D., Murray K., et al. (2001). The outbreak
of West Nile virus infection in the New York City area in 1999. The New England Journal of
Medicine, 344, 1807-1814.
References Final
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New York State Department of Health. (2009b). Mosquitoes and West Nile virus: Fight
the bite. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from
http://www.health.state.ny.us/publications/2731/
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New York State Department of Health. (2009a). West Nile virus: Frequently asked
questions. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://www.nyhealth.gov/publications/2746/
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Shufro, C. (2000, Spring). To the vector go the spoils. Yale Medicine, 34(2), 16-24.
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United States Geological Survey: National Wildlife Health Center. (2007). West Nile
virus and public health. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/west_nile_virus/public_health.jsp
United States Geological Survey: National Wildlife Health Center. (2009). West Nile
virus. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/west_nile_virus/index.jsp