West Nile Encephalitis

Synonyms

• West Nile Fever
• Kunjin fever

Disorder Subdivisions

• None

General Discussion

West Nile encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain caused by the West Nile virus, which was first identified in Uganda in the 1930s and first found in the United States in 1999. The disease is spread to humans through the bite of mosquitoes who have fed upon infected birds. It is not spread from person to person, nor is it spread directly from other animals to people, although horses and some other animals are known to become ill from infection with West Nile virus. In humans, most cases are mild with flu-like symptoms, but the disease may occasionally be severe and may even be life-threatening.

Resources

Transverse Myelitis Association
1787 Sutter Parkway
Powell, OH 43065-8806
USA
Tel: 6147661806
Email: ssiegel@myelitis.org
Internet: http://www.myelitis.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
Tel: (404)639-3534
Tel: (800)311-3435
Email: http://www.cdc.gov/netinfo.htm
Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/

NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
6610 Rockledge Drive
MSC 6612
Bethesda, MD 20892-6612
Tel: (301)496-5717
Fax: (301)402-3573
TDD: (800)877-8339
Internet: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
31 Center Drive
8A07
Bethesda, MD 20892-2540
Tel: (301)496-5751
Fax: (301)402-2186
Tel: (800)352-9424
Email: braininfo@ninds.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

Encephalitis Global
1638 Pierard Road
North Vancouver
British Columbia, Intl V7J 1Y2
Canada
Tel: 604-980-2236
Fax: 6049040809
Email: wendystation@shaw.ca
Internet: http://www.encephalitisglobal.com

Encephalitis Society
7B Saville Street
Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 7LL
UK
Tel: 44 (0) 1652 625 583
Email: mail@encephalitis.info
Internet: http://www.encephalitis.info

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html

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This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.

For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org

Last Updated: 9/8/2005
Copyright 2002, 2004, 2005 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.