What Is West Nile Fever ?

West Nile Fever is a viral infection caused by West Nile Virus, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. 

66 people have died from West Nile virus infections this year and the number of human cases has grown to 1,590. That's the highest case count through the last week of August since the virus was first detected in the U.S in 1999.

Way of transmission of West Nile Virus:

The transmission cycle begins when a mosquito bites an infected bird and takes in blood that contains the virus. If the mosquito bites a human, it transmits the virus to him/her.
In a very small number of cases, WNV can spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding and even during pregnancy from mother-to-baby.

Symptoms of West Nile Fever:
The earliest symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, body aches, rash and swollen lymph nodes. 80% of people infected by WNV, will not show any symptoms at all.
Symptoms usually begin 3 to 15 days after infection. In about 1% of infected individuals, it may cause West Nile Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) which will present with high fever, stiff neck, convulsions, confusion, paralysis and coma.

People aged over 50 years old and those who spend more time outdoors are at high risk of getting WNV.

How is West Nile Fever treated ?
There is no specific treatment for this disease. Management is supportive in terms of replacing fluids and electrolytes as they are lost through insensible losses due to fever and decreased fluid intake.

What Is West Nile Fever ?

Symptoms Of Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer symptoms can lack specificity in the early course of the disease. This may cause the patient to ignore these vague symptoms till the disease becomes advanced which will then present with more obvious symptoms.

As its name suggests, stomach cancer is a neoplastic cancerous growth involving part or the whole of the stomach. The image below illustrates the 4 divisions of the stomach: Fundus, Body, Antrum, Pyloris.

Risk factors that increases likelihood of stomach cancer:

1. Factors related to nutrition:
- Salted meat or fish.
- High complex-carbohydrate ingestion.
- Low fat or protein ingestion.

2. Helicobacter pylori infection.

3. Smoking.

4. Male gender.

5. Previous gastric surgery.

Symptoms of stomach cancer:
As mentioned above, the diagnosis of stomach cancer is usually delayed due to the delay in seeking medical attention because of mild and vague symptoms which include:
- Dyspepsia (or indigestion, discomfort in the upper abdomen, painful digestion).
- Anorexia, asthenia, anemia, weight loss.
- Epigastric mass.

These symptoms rarely get proper attention which causes further delay in making the diagnosis.
However, in late cases a patient may present with signs of metastasis (spread of cancer) to the liver and lymph nodes (especially the left supraclavicular lymph node).

If detected early stomach cancer can be a curable disease. Treatment at this stage will mainly depend on removal of the stomach (or part of it) that contains the malignant growth.

Take care: Dyspepsia occuring in any individual above 40 years old should be taken seriously especially if medications are not effective enough to relief it. Investigations must be done thoroughly to exclude the presence of stomach cancer.

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Symptoms Of Stomach Cancer