Sudden Paralysis Is Red Flag for West Nile Virus

The other three patients survived but with neurologic deficits: a previously healthy 54-year-old woman who developed paraplegia after a flu-like illness; a previously healthy 32-year-old woman who developed left arm, face, and leg weakness after 3 days of severe headache and truncal rash; and a 50-year-old man with a liver transplant who developed rapidly progressive quadriplegia after severe ab-dominal pain and encephalopathy.

Symptoms arise from damage (arrow) to motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spine. Courtesy B. Kleinschmidt-DeMasters