West Nile What? Most Unaware of Infection

A study out of Canada shows that a huge percentage of those infected with West Nile virus were completely oblivious to the fact.

A little over three percent of the 1,200 blood samples examined by a Manitoba team of public health workers were found to contain antibodies built up against West Nile virus. Of those, 85% had no idea they had been infected and nearly two-thirds didn’t report as much as a fever.

Dr. Neil Simonsen, infectious disease advisor for the Public Health Agency of Canada warns that people shouldn’t get too cocky about the results.

“We don’t know how long the antibodies survive and if they do provide protection how long they provide protection,” he said.

“Even if people know they have antibodies, protective measures are still important because we cannot guarantee that they are immune, although the likelihood is that they are.”

The disease is riskiest among the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. About 20% of people infected with the virus experience flu-like symptoms and a much smaller number come down with brain encephalitis (brain swelling infection).

Doctors continued to express concern over the number of people who knew very little about protective measures. Though most of the survey respondents knew the virus was spread by mosquitoes, only a few knew how to protect themselves.

To protect against contraction of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, doctors advise limiting outside activity during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, wearing light-colored, loose-fitting long sleeved shirts and pants, and using an insect repellant with the ingredient DEET.