West Nile Encephalitis

West Nile encephalitis is an infection of the brain caused by the West Nile virus, which is commonly found in Africa, West Asia, and the Middle East. The virus, carried by the Culex mosquito, first appeared in the east coast of the United States during the summer of 1999. Since that time, there have been 62 cases of the disease and seven deaths.

West Nile encephalitis cases occur primarily in the late summer or early fall. People can get infected from the bite of a certain kind of mosquito, called the Northern house mosquito (Culex mosquito), that is infected with the virus. Mosquitoes get it when they bite birds infected with the West Nile virus. Those mosquitoes then transmit the virus to people and other animals while biting and taking blood from their host. Once in a person's blood stream, it takes three to 15 days before symptoms of the disease develop. The virus can travel to the nervous system where it infects the brain and the covering over the brain (meningoencephalitis). This inflamation can cause the brain to swell, producing the symptoms of encephalitis.

Fortunately, most West Nile Virus infections are mild and symptoms and only include fever, headache and body aches, often with skin rash and swollen lymph glands. When the brain is severely infected, however, there can be severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, lethargy, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis and, rarely, death. Most adults and children who become infected with the virus are able to fight it off thanks to their immunological system. Those at greatest risk include babies and older adults. West Nile encephalitis is not transmitted from person-to-person. Therefore, children can not get the illness by touching or kissing another person who has the disease.

There is no cure (none of the few antiviral medications we have are shown to be effective against the West Nile virus, and antibiotics used for bacterial infections offer no help) for a West Nile Virus infection. Therefore, parents should take all the precautions they can to protect their children against mosquito bites.

For babies less than six months old, the best protection is simply not to have them outside at dusk, when mosquitoes tend to do most of their feeding. If you cannot avoid being out, mosquito nets offer some protection and can be draped over a playpen or stroller. Some find that applying Avon-Skin-So-Soft™ -- a popular moisturizer -- offers some protection, but its effectiveness is debatable.

For children older than six months:

• Stay indoors at dawn, dusk and in the early evening.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors.
• Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 10 percent DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). Be sure to wash the repellent off when you go indoors. Cutting down exposure time to DEET helps to keep it from being toxic to little ones.
• Repellents may irritate the eyes and mouth, so avoid applying repellent to the hands of children.
• Spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin or DEET, as mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing.

As a reminder, this information should not be relied on as medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice of your child’s pediatrician. Please read our full disclaimer.