West Nile Virus Made a Comeback this Season -- Save Yourself
from Its Wrath We surfed WebMD (the scariest website ever) to
find the symptoms of the virus. Turns out, some people don't
even know they have it, while others experience a headache, loss
of appetite, nausea, a rash, or other mild symptoms. But here's
the part that will have you running to buy bug spray and a bed
net: In rare cases, West Nile can lead to swelling of the brain
(encephalitis), swelling of the spinal cord (myelitis), or
swelling of the tissues around the brain and spinal cord
(meningitis). But permanent problems such as seizures, memory
loss, and brain damage can occur, especially in children and
older people. As you get older, you have a higher risk for
getting encephalitis and other serious problems from West Nile.
Of the people who have serious problems, those older than age 70
have the biggest risk of dying from them.3 In a few cases, West
Nile can be fatal. We asked the Health Department, "Why us? Why
now?" A representative explai