Currently, an infection with the West Nile virus has already been detected in three people. How dangerous is the virus and how widespread is it?
In the last few days, many media outlets have reported that hundreds have probably now been infected with the West Nile virus without even knowing about it. Since such headlines are understandably disturbing, we would like to summarize the most important facts and the current state of affairs here.
Where does the virus come from?
The virus was first discovered in 1937 in West Nile District of Uganda, hence the name “West Nile virus”. It first appeared in Europe in the 1960s, but at that time mainly in horses.
How is the virus transmitted?
Birds mainly carry the virus. transmitted by mosquitoes that become infected on birds that have previously eaten infected mosquitoes. The virus cannot develop very well in other animals, such as horses, so there is no risk of infection from horses to people. People are also so-called false hosts: mosquitoes cannot get the virus by biting a person and then carry it on.
[mk_ad]
How did the virus come to Europe?
Most likely by migratory birds. Mosquitoes are less known for crossing continents, but migratory birds appear to have become infected with the virus while overwintering in Africa and brought the virus with them to Europe.
The first cases of infection were recorded in the Western Hemisphere as early as 1999. Dr. Deborah Asnis discovered the virus in two patients at a Queens hospital who were suffering from paralysis.
There were first cases in Hungary in 2004, and the virus then appeared in birds in Austria in 2009, as Norbert Nowotny, clinical virologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, reported to the Wiener Zeitung . At that time, the “Austrian variant” of the virus was still relatively harmless to people.
The virus was first detected in animals in Germany in 2018, and the first detectable infection in a human discovered in August 2019.
How can people become infected?
Mainly by being bitten by a mosquito that carries the virus. But the virus can also be transmitted through organ transplants and blood transfusions. Blood donation services and doctors can therefore on the ECDC website about the regions in which the virus has emerged and been reported.
How dangerous is an infection?
Almost 80 percent of all infections occur without any symptoms, which is why they were not recognized and examined. About 20 percent of those infected experience mild symptoms such as fever and rash; This is also rarely a reason to see a doctor.
However, in around 1 percent of all cases that have occurred so far, serious neuroinfections can occur. This mostly affects older people with previous illnesses, such as the first patient discovered in Germany, a 70-year-old man from Saxony, who suffered from meningitis due to the virus but has since recovered.
The other two patients, both from Leipzig and the surrounding area, are only 35 years old . They are being treated for suspected cases of the virus, but at this point it has not yet been conclusively diagnosed.
Can you be vaccinated against an infection?
Research into a vaccine against West Nile virus has been ongoing for over 20 years. Although several vaccines have entered the clinical test phase at this time, there is still no effective vaccination , says Sebastian Ulbert from the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Immunology.
One of the problems with the development of a vaccine is the virus's high ability to mutate and possibly be transmissible in other ways at some point, which makes a possible epidemic extremely unpredictable . The costs for the at least somewhat effective vaccines that have been tested so far are still extremely high, i.e. they would cost a lot, but the benefits are very uncertain.
[mk_ad]
Conclusion
In fact, due to widespread transmission, it is possible that hundreds have already been infected with the virus. Most people won't notice it, but about 1 percent can become seriously ill. Since the virus can mutate at some point, there is also a theoretical risk that this number will increase.
However, this is not a reason to panic. If detected early, illnesses caused by the virus can be treated, so deaths do not necessarily occur.
Between July and September 2019, the virus was detected in a total of 37 birds and 5 horses in Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. Since the number of mosquitoes declines sharply in autumn, infection with the West Nile virus is currently very unlikely.
Also interesting:
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

