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Just wondering if anybody has had West Nile Virus as probable cause of their symptoms and if they had sought all these antiviral treatments that I'm reading about on this site?
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Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.
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West Nile virus
This mosquito-borne virus is found in many countries throughout the world, including the US, Australia, parts of Canada, parts of Europe, but not the UK, Ireland or New Zealand.
Around 1% of the US population have been infected with West Nile virus. Most people experience no symptoms when catching the virus, but about 20% of people develop a fever, headache, vomiting or a rash, and less than 1% develop encephalitis or meningitis, which presents with neck stiffness, confusion or seizure symptoms.
31% of patients with a history of West Nile virus infection reported fatigue that affected their daily activities. Of those with fatigue, 64% met the CDC case definition for CFS. 1
So that equates to around 20% of patients with a history of West Nile virus infection developing CFS.
@Hip I had read that study some time ago and test for WNV as I thought it might contribute to my illness. However my titers were negative. Would this mean I never was exposed to it?
If the lab report says your IgG titers are negative, then yes you would have never been exposed to it.
Thank you! But darn, would have explained WTH happened!
Have you been tested for the main pathogens linked to ME/CFS, including EBV, HHV-6, cytomegalovirus, coxsackievirus B, echovirus, parvovirus B19, and Chlamydia pneumoniae?
Further ME/CFS-linked pathogens include: HHV-7, Giardia lamblia, Coxiella burnetii (that's rare though), Ross River virus (if you are in Australia) and of course West Nile virus.
Other pathogens that may cause fatigue symptoms include: Bartonella, Babesia, Brucella and Mycoplasma.
I am thankful for you and for your sharp and concise mind
Thanks, though sharp and concise are not exactly the adjectives I would use to describe my brain after getting ME/CFS! Actually I find it's the interaction with people on these forums that helps to clarify and focus my foggy thought processes, so I think we all are helping each other out here.
The main issue for me these days is the mental health comorbidities that my virus also seemed to trigger, like depression, anhedonia, blunted emotions and sometimes some mild psychosis. Those are symptoms I'd like to try to improve. I suspect they may be underpinned by brain inflammation caused by the virus.
Didn't you try LDN? Did you find it helpful for the neuro inflammation & psych issues? Does anything seem to help?
but the PTSD flaring up has been pretty life limiting in an already limited life