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Treatment is supportive care. Standard precautions are recommended for hospitalized patients in the American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book on pages 792-5 (Red Book: 2012 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. L.K. Pickering, Ed. 29th ed. Elk Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics). Most people will recover from even the neuroinvasive manifestations of WNV, although symptoms may last for several weeks and those with severe cases may require hospitalization for supportive treatment. Serious sequelae can occur among those with underlying immune deficiencies.
For the most up-to-date information on WNV statistics from the CDC, click here.
Dr. Word is a pediatric infectious disease specialist and director of the Houston Travel Medicine Clinic. She said she had no relevant financial disclosures. Write to Dr. Word at pdnews@elsevier.com.