Diagnosing West Nile Virus
In order to diagnose West Nile virus, your doctor will ask a number of questions, perform a physical exam, and recommend certain tests. As part of diagnosing a West Nile virus infection, the doctor will also rule out other causes of possible
West Nile virus symptoms.
If your doctor has determined that you are at high risk and have symptoms of West Nile virus, a blood sample will be taken and sent to a commercial or public health laboratory for confirmation.
There is currently no
West Nile virus treatment that can kill the virus. Therefore, West Nile virus treatment goals are focused on providing relief of symptoms as the body fights the virus.
Statistics on West Nile Virus
In 2003, there were 9,862 human cases of West Nile virus disease reported in the United States, including 264 deaths. In 2002, there were 4,156 human cases of West Nile virus disease, including 284 deaths. In 2001, there were 66 human cases of West Nile virus and 9 deaths.
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