Although the modern world is amid a pandemic, people should be aware of some long-term threats that have been endangering humanity in the past and still put humankind at risk. The news report by the World Health Organization (2017) claims that West Nile Virus (WNV) or Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, is one of such threats. WHO’s (2017) image reconstruction displays a round-shaped organism with a relatively smooth protein surface. These findings suggest that the shape of the virus is similar to Dengue fever, which is another virus in the Flaviviridae family (WHO, 2017). Both viruses have been identified as global public health threats due to their high transferability and numbers of infected people.
Although the original carriers of the virus are birds, the insects, particularly mosquitos, who feed on the birds’ blood, become the primary transmitters of the disease to other animals. As it concerns the organism’s Gram reaction, it reacts positive, which means that the virus can be classified into the category of entities which have a thick cell wall of peptidoglycan substance (WHO, 2017). As previously noted, the infection is mainly spread to people by the infected mosquitos’ bites; due to challenging insects’ control measures, the spread of the virus is hard to contain and prevent.
Despite the continuous transmission of the infection and challenging prevention strategy, not many people experience the adverse effects of the virus. According to WHO (2017), only 20% of infected people display any symptoms (para. 20). More specifically, however, some individuals affected by the infection showcase the symptoms of diarrhea, fever, disorientation, weakness, paralysis, headache, and seizures that can lead to lethal neurological disease (WHO, 2017). Although the virus has been identified as a global threat and continues to affect people, recent news report that no vaccination is available.
Reference
World Health Organization. (2017). West Nile virus. Web.