Viral meningitis or West Nile virus – how do you know?
Most people get fearful just thinking about these two illnesses.Both are serious ailments and have some of the same symptomscausing some misdiagnoses.
In both cases, the infected person has a feeling of malaise— feeling bad in general.
Early signs of the illnesses also include cold-like symptoms,such as a fever of 100.4 degrees or more depending on the severityof the case, achy muscles, headache and stiff neck.
With West Nile, the symptoms generally last three to six days,while viral meningitis symptoms last from seven to 10days.
What most people do not realize is that each case is differentand not every case is as life threatening as portrayed in themedia.
Viral meningitis is a lot more common than the bacterial formand is not fatal in most cases.
The disease recovery rate for viral meningitis is generally aweek, and the Centers for Disease Control report that the chancesof the disease getting severe or the likelihood of death isslight.
A bacterial meningitis shot is available, but it will notprevent you from getting the viral version of meningitis.
Cheryl Black from the SMU Memorial Health Center said there isno increase in the number of viral meningitis cases in thenation.
The situation is different with West Nile virus because themedia coverage and reported cases are fairly new to this side ofthe world.
The virus was first reported in Eastern Europe, Africa, WestAsia and the Middle East.
Scientists believe that the virus came to the Western Hemispherearound 1999.
The CDC stated that approximately 20 percent of those infectedby mosquito bites develop a mild illness.
The CDC also said that the virus is now “permanentlyestablished” in the United States.
In 2003, there have been 106 reported cases of the West Nilevirus in Texas, but only two of the cases have caused deaths.
Black said students do need to be cautious. She saidfirst-year college students living in the residence halls are atthe highest risk for any type of virus.
If these students focus on getting enough sleep, eating right,exercising regularly, not smoking and limiting alcohol intake, theylower the risks of getting ill.
Doing this will also build up immune systems which will fightoff viruses over time and make people less susceptible to catchingillnesses.
If you have or develop any of these symptoms the best thing todo is to monitor yourself.
Not everyone with cold-like symptoms is going to have viralmeningitis or the West Nile virus.
If the symptoms persist, you should see a doctor and getevaluated.
