There is a new finding that might provide the fight against the West Nile virus some positive boost. Researchers hailing from the Washington University School of Medicine have recently identified a new class of compounds that can effectively inhibit the replication of the said virus. The West Nile virus belongs to the flavivirus family of viruses which also includes the yellow fever virus and the dengue virus. The West Nile virus can infect not only humans but also horses and other vertebrate sp…

Mosquito or insect repellents can be used as an effective weapon in the fight to reduce the threat of the West Nile virus on humans. Insect repellents are formulated substances that can be applied to the skin, clothing or other surfaces in order to discourage insects, mainly mosquitoes from coming into contact with such surfaces. The most common form of mosquito or insect repellent being used today comes in the form of topical lotions although there are also certain products that make use of hig…

Mosquitoes have been known to be one of the most common pests that directly affect humans. In fact, they have been known to cause the spread of a variety of diseases as potential carriers that help transmit such infections from one person to another. Recently, mosquitoes have been found to help the spread of West Nile virus among the human population in North America. This goes to show just how a threat these insects pose on humans. Here are some facts that you might want to know about mosquitoe…

Although the primary carriers of the West Nile virus have been known to be mosquitoes, it has been the infected avian population that has brought about its spread in many parts of the globe.  Since there are a number of bird species that migrate annually to escape the winter season, this process has been seen to have contributed to the spread of the virus to different locations on the globe. The West Nile virus is mainly found in both tropical and temperate regions. Its transmission has been due…

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus that may cause serious illness, like meningitis and encephalitis, or sometimes death. It is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, which first got the infection from biting a bird carrying the virus. Nevertheless, WNV does not spread through body-to-body contact. Although in the outbreak last year, people that were infected with the virus did not have illness or did not show symptoms. They only exhibited mild forms of illness be…