"West Nile Can Paralyze Some Patients, Reports Say"
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Researchers reported Monday that infection with
the West Nile virus can cause symptoms
similar to polio. In letters published early by the New England Journal of
Medicine, two teams of doctors report four cases in which patients with varying
symptoms became partially paralyzed and were found to have West Nile
virus infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently
warned physicians to be alert for strange symptoms in patients who come in with
symptoms of a viral infection. The CDC's Dr. Jim Sejvar noted that the West
Nile-related paralysis appears to affect
one side of the body, and he said that physicians should consider testing for
West Nile virus before initiating therapy
for conditions like Guillain-Barre
syndrome.
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