New Study: Good Long-Term Prognosis for Patients After West Nile Virus Infection
Largest Study on West Nile Virus Finds Most Return to Normal Within a Year; American College of Physicians (ACP) "Internal Medicine Report"
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- (Marketwire) -- 08/19/08 -- West Nile virus is a potentially serious
central nervous system infection spread by mosquitoes. It can have
long-term health consequences with symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive
dysfunction, and motor abnormalities that can persist for months.
Approximately 20 percent of people infected have symptoms that range from
mild flu-like illness to neurological problems such as meningoencephalitis,
encephalitis, and acute flaccid paralysis.
Until now, little was know about the long-term outcomes for patients
suffering from West Nile virus. But results of a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine show the
prognosis for patients with West Nile virus may not be as bad as expected.
The study finds that regardless of how severe a case of West Nile virus a
patient has, most return to normal health within a year. The study looked
at 156 people and is the largest study of the long-term outcomes of West
Nile virus infection. In this video story, lead author Mark Loeb discusses
the results of the study, and patient Dennis Tieche talks about his
recovery from the disease.
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Study on West Nile finds most return to normal within a year.