Summary
In 1999, a deadly strain of West Nile virus struck parts of the northeastern United States. Caused by a virus from the family Flaviridae, genus Flavivirus, the disease was common in Africa and the Middle East. Today, it can be found across North America, Europe, and Asia. West Nile can cause serious illness and, in severe cases, lead to encephalitis, a swelling of the brain, which can be fatal. West Nile Virus, Third Edition takes a look at the origins of this disease, how it is transmitted, how it is treated, and what measures are being taken to combat it.
Chapters include:
- The West Nile Panic
- A Foreign Virus Emerges in the United States
- Structure and Function of the West Nile Virus
- A Virus Transmitted by Mosquitoes
- How West Nile Virus Causes Disease
- Diagnosis and Treatment of West Nile Virus
- Vaccines and Prevention.
About the Author(s)
Jeffrey N. Sfakianos, Ph.D., was trained as a virologist in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Cell Biology at Yale University in New Haven, CT, where he studies epithelial cell morphology and protein sorting. He has authored and coauthored more than 10 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the fields of virology, pharmacology, and cell biology.
Alan Hecht, D.C., is a practicing chiropractor in New York. He is also an adjunct professor at Farmingdale State College, Nassau Community College, and the C. W. Post campus of Long Island University. He teaches courses in medical microbiology, health and human disease, anatomy and physiology, comparative anatomy, human physiology, human nutrition, embryology, and general biology.