In the United States, Rhode Island reports the first …

To the United Statesstate health officials Rhode Island announced on September 16, 2022 the first human case of infection with West Nile virus (WN ​​or West Nile virus) in 2022. The person tested positive is a 70-year-old resident of the county of Providence and is currently hospitalized after starting to experience symptoms of WN nearly three weeks ago.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) confirmed two positive results for the WN virus in mosquito traps this year.

WN is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

Reminder on the West Nile virus

The West Nile virus is regarded today as the Flavivirus the most common after dengue fever. It belongs to the family of Flaviviridae such Flavivirus. It is the migratory birds that serve as reservoir animals for the West Nile virus. West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of such mosquitoes Culex After biting infected birds, female mosquitoes become able to transmit the virus to humans during a blood meal.

• In most cases (80%), West Nile virus infection is asymptomatic.
• Symptomatic forms of the disease are characterized by the sudden appearance of high fever after 3-6 days of incubation. This fever is accompanied by headache and back pain, body aches, cough, swollen glands in the neck and often skin rashes, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and respiratory symptoms.
• Neurological complications (meningitis, encephalitis) occur in less than 1% of cases. Even more rarely, other complications may appear (hepatitis, pancreatitis or myocarditis).

Typically, the patient heals spontaneously, sometimes with sequelae. But viral infection can be fatal mainly in the elderly.