Product Description
Our West Nile Virus toy is made of soft plush and has rather come-hither Cleopatra eyes. Although you wouldn't want to cozy up to the real thing, this stuffed virus would be a fun gift for the budding or armchair virologist in your life.
West Nile virus (WNV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes West Nile fever. West Nile virus is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes, mostly species of the genus Culex, but ticks have also been found to carry the virus. The primary hosts of WNV are birds, so that the virus remains within a "bird-mosquito-bird" transmission cycle. In about 75% of infections people have few or no symptoms. About 20% of people develop a fever, headache, vomiting, or a rash. In less than 1% of people, encephalitis or meningitis occurs, with associated neck stiffness, confusion, or seizures. Recovery may take weeks to months. The risk of death among those in whom the nervous system is affected is about 10%.