Research Paper on:
Dangers of the West Nile Virus to Humans and Animals

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
national epidemic. That it has long been fairly restricted to the East Coast until the last several months indicates that the mosquito responsible for spreading the virus is somehow  being transported from state to state. Most recently, a California resident contracted the disease without traveling away from home or coming in contact with any of the typical indicators  of the potentially fatal illness. However, the virus is not limited to attacking the human species; rather, it is well represented in myriad animal species, as well, which makes  controlling the pathogen that much more difficult for the medical community. What is West Nile virus and why is it experiencing an upsurge throughout America? II. THE BASICS  Transmitted via mosquito bite, West Nile virus originated in Africa and soon became rampant in southern Europe as well as Western Asia. Its first American appearance came in 1999  when a case was isolated in the greater New York City area; from that point, it traveled to North Carolina and all New England states in 2000. The mortality  rate of West Nile virus has been alarmingly increasing in recent months, with many species of domestic and wildlife - particularly birds and horses - just as susceptible as their  human counterparts. Symptoms in people include flu-like discomfort, which may turn into aseptic meningitis, encephalitis and ultimately death; the elderly are especially vulnerable to the fatal aspects of this  illness (Ohio Department of Health). III. DETAILED EPIDEMIOLOGY Brain inflammation (encephalitis) and brain/spinal cord lining inflammation (meningitis) are the two primary manifestations of West Nile virus, a pathogen that  claimed the lives of seven people during its initial outbreak in the United States (Nash et al, 2001). Recent statistics indicate the virus has infected over three hundred people