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As we all know, Louisiana summers are spent outdoors surrounded by family, friends, and good food. Along with this summer heat and humidity comes mosquitoes. We all know what a mosquito bite feels like, but did you know, in Louisiana, there is a 1 in 5 chance that you may have contracted West Nile Virus. The first reported case of West Nile Virus was in New York City in 1999. In only two years, the virus spread across the country and made its way down to Louisiana. In 2002, the virus quickly became a threat, infecting 328 individuals and killing two dozen people in the state. So what is West Nile Virus? West Nile Virus is an enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus with an icosahedral capsid belonging in the Flavivirus family. The virus’s ability to attach to host cell lectins, avoid host immune defenses intracellularly, and in some instances, cross the blood-brain barrier, result in varying degrees of disease. West Nile Virus has three clinical presentations: Asymptomatic, West Nile Fever, and in serious cases, Neuroinvasive West Nile when it infects the nervous system which can result in death. In Louisiana, asymptomatic cases commonly go unreported. Because most don’t seek medical attention, approximately 20% of these infections develop into West Nile Fever. Symptoms include: flu-like symptoms, and less frequently, a rash on the chest, stomach and back. If West Nile Fever goes untreated, it can develop into the most severe type, Neuroinvasive West Nile. An individual with the Neuroinvasive type may suffer from severe headaches, high fever, stiffness in the neck, disorientation, vision loss, coma, or even paralysis. Seeking medical advice is important to rule out other infectious diseases such as Influenza and Bacterial Meningitis, and also other mosquito-borne infections such as Zika, and Dengue. A simple blood serum or cerebrospinal fluid antibody test is sufficient to distinguish West Nile Virus from the other possible infections. If the tests find that you have become infected with West Nile Virus, treatment is focused on alleviating the symptoms. There is currently no human vaccine for the virus. Avoiding this type of infection can be hard to avoid, but be sure to apply mosquito repellent, remove standing bodies of water around your house, and be sure to close all windows and doors in the summer months!