West Nile Virus: The Silent, Deadly Killer :: Essays Papers

West Nile Virus: The Silent, Deadly Killer Webster’s defines a virus as being a ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts. In the article, â€Å"A New Transcontinental Disease: The West Nile Virus,† by Alicia Campbell and H. Michael Dreher, the authors describe exactly what the virus is, the history of the virus, and how to treat it. It was published in 2002 in Medsurg Nursing because the virus itself was becoming more and more of a threat to the public welfare. In order to fully understand the virus and its complex makeup, extensive research and case studies had to be made. After years of tracking the virus and its origins, tests conducted on how it was transferred from host to host and how exactly the public in general can protect itself from deadly viruses established a research base for further studies. The New York West Nile epidemic brought a lot of attention to the forgotten lethal virus. The virus is carried by the common North American mosquito. Viruses have existed among us for many years, and cause many very deadly outbreaks all across the globe. The virus can rapidly spread throughout an area in no time; host-to-host it spreads like a wild fire. From the author’s source, it is speculated that the HIV virus originated in Africa and Haitians carried the virus back to their homeland. The authors also tell us that many viruses originate within the depths of over populated forests causing the animals and insects to move on. As they progress to find a better location, they carry deadly viruses with them, infecting brand new regions. Today the West Nile virus continues to be a threat. The authors tell us that it is more than likely that we will see more cases of the virus across the United States as it is now widespread. Scientists tell us that the West Nile virus originated in Africa in 1937 and the first reported epidemic was reported in Israel. It is not known exactly how the virus reached Israel from Africa. The virus can also be found in animals, increasing the chances that a mosquito could land on an animal with the virus, infect it, and continue to carry the virus on to another host.