WEST NILE VIRUS Definition & Meaning

West Nile virus

noun

Pathology.

an illness caused by a chiefly mosquito-borne virus of the genus Flavivirus, characterized in a small percentage of infected persons by fever, headache, muscle weakness, and sometimes encephalitis or meningitis.
the virus that causes this illness.

West Nile virus

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An infectious disease caused by a virus of the genus Flavivirus, occurring in Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean, and parts of North America. The infection is transmitted by a mosquito and can cause mild illness as well as severe, sometimes fatal encephalitis and meningitis.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of West Nile virus¹

First recorded in 1935–40; named after the West Nile region of Uganda

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Tyler Smith, 42, spent weeks in a coma after getting West Nile virus.

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That genetic method has already shown promise to control Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which vector diseases like West Nile virus, Dengue, yellow fever and Zika to humans.

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Scientists say climate change has led to more severe weather, including devastating floods and droughts; the spread of infectious diseases such as West Nile virus; and earlier deaths from respiratory illnesses.

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Cases of dengue fever are at an all-time high and dengue, malaria and West Nile virus have spread to places they were never found before.

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California already grapples with West Nile virus, a potentially deadly disease that was first detected in the state about two decades ago.

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West Nile fever West Norriton

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