West Nile Virus Infection: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Natural Approaches

Primarily transmitted to humans via mosquito bites, most West Nile virus infections are asymptomatic or mild, but some cases can develop into severe illness.

Illustration by Fei Meng

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a flavivirus that can cause neurological disease and death in humans.

It was first identified in 1937 in the West Nile district of Uganda. The initial appearance of WNV in America occurred in New York City in 1999 and has since become the most common mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.