With the number of West Nile cases approaching 2,000 in the U.S. The Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says it will be another few years before a vaccine can be developed.
The issue was the subject of a congressional hearing Tuesday in Washington.
"If you infect the hamster with either yellow fever or St. Louis encephalitis and they recover from it and then you challenge them with West Nile virus, they're protected against West Nile virus," said Anthony Fauci, of the National Institutes of Health. "Which means the underlying immunity that you might even get from the yellow fever vaccination perhaps might give some degree of protection. Which again is fortifying evidence why we're on the right track."
According to testimony offered to a senate subcommittee Tuesday morning, a vaccine for West Nile virus is likely three or four years away.
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West Nile virus Facts
- The West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause encephalitis (an inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) in humans and other animals.
- The virus is named after the West Nile region of Uganda where it was first isolated in1937.
- The virus appeared for the first time in the United States during a 1999 outbreak in New York that killed seven people.
How is the West Nile virus Spread?
- The virus is spread to humans, birds and other animals through the bite of an infected mosquito.
- A mosquito becomes infected by biting a bird that is carrying the virus.
- West Nile virus is not spread from person to person, and no evidence indicates the virus can be spread directly from birds to humans.
- Only a small population of mosquitoes are likely to be infected and most people bitten by an infected mosquito do not become sick.
- 1 in 300 people bitten by an infected mosquito get sick.
- 1 in 100-150 who get sick become seriously ill.
- 3 to 15 percent of those seriously ill die.
Symptoms of the Virus
- The symptoms generally appear about 3 to 6 days after exposure. People over the age of 50 are at a greater risk of severe illness.
- Milder symptoms include: Slight fever, headache, body aches, swollen glands and/or sometimes a skin rash.
- Severe symptoms include: High fever, intense headache, stiff neck, and/or confusion.
- Control mosquitoes from breeding around your home.
- Wear long and light colored clothing.
- Use insect repellent products with no ore than 20-30 percent DEET for adults and less than 10 percent for children.
- Spray repellent on your hands and then apply to your face. Be sure repellent is safe for human skin.
- Wash off repellent daily and reapply as needed.
Source: www.vdh.state.va.us contributed to this report