A U.K. man is sharing the story of how he went from being "fit and able" to someone who struggles with neurological problems after contracting West Nile virus a year ago.
What's happening?
Speaking with the BBC, Jim Skinner of Hampshire described the symptoms he experienced after being bitten by a West Nile-carrying mosquito in India.
"I had weakness down the left-hand side, palsy on the left-hand side, and I got tremors. ... The weakness and tremors are still there a year on," he said. He added that he wants to raise awareness, as most people there have not heard of West Nile virus.
"I was treated with some skepticism when I told some people what I had," he said.
Why is West Nile virus concerning?
West Nile is typically asymptomatic, but more severe cases can result in fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the disease originates in Uganda, it is commonly found in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, West Asia, and Australia, according to the World Health Organization. It has been present in the United States since 1999 and is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease on the mainland.
Warmer and wetter weather is helping disease-carrying mosquitoes expand their ranges and extend their seasons in the U.S. and elsewhere. For instance, Massachusetts officials advised residents to stay vigilant after the state discovered its first West Nile-carrying mosquitoes two weeks earlier than last year.
"We are seeing cases of West Nile and other viruses that belong to this family increasing," Krishanthi Subramaniam, a researcher at the University of Liverpool, told the BBC. "Due to the warmer weather, we are seeing a lot of the mosquitos that transmit these viruses reside locally in a lot of countries in Europe, like France and Spain.
"... I don't think there are any more 'tropical viruses.' ... The geographic barrier of these viruses no longer exists because of climate change."
Though the U.K. Health Security Agency told the BBC there was no evidence the virus was spreading in the U.K., West Nile virus was detected in a U.K. mosquito for the first time in 2023, signaling the potential for locally acquired cases there.
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What mosquitoes? 😎 What's being done about West Nile virus?
There is no vaccine for West Nile, but The Pandemic Institute is working on one, per the BBC.
The best way to avoid West Nile virus is to avoid getting bitten by a mosquito. The CDC recommends preventative measures such as using insect repellent, wearing loose-fitting shirts and pants, avoiding being outside at dusk and dawn, and using screens on windows and doors.
Many communities across the globe are also looking for ways to reduce mosquito populations in an effort to curb the transmission of mosquito-borne illnesses such as West Nile virus, malaria, dengue, and others. For instance, officials in one Florida county are using X-rays to kill invasive mosquitoes, and one Manila, Philippines, neighborhood is paying people to turn over any mosquitoes they can capture.
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