TINUVIEL

Hi,

I hadn't given much thought to West Nile Virus, in spite of the publicity it's had around here. I do recall a friend of mine saying they'd found dead birds all over her subdivision and also I've noticed the crow population has all but vanished.

I wanted to know more about it so I was checking what symptoms it causes. Reports had been that in most cases it produces "no symptoms" or your body just fights it off. I wonder if some people could be infected with it and not know about it. What if it caused very low-grade symptoms? Or if a person infected with Lyme could also have West Nile Virus, which in most people wouldn't be a big issue but in a Lyme patient it represents one more infection? I'm also inclined to wonder what other insect-borne infections are around that as of yet remain unidentified.

Type of symptoms and their severity can vary widely from case to case. In mild cases, there may be flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache and body aches. Some people may also develop a mild rash or swollen lymph glands. More severe symptoms can include meningitis, encephalitis, and acute flaccid paralysis.