Boy Scouts of America, Troop 683
Gardena, California
Troop 683 Photo Album
Photos of outings and activities.
Troop Information
Calendar, Meeting Minutes, etc. This section is password protected for
exclusive use by Troop 683 scouts and parents.
Boy Scout Troop Forms
Some of the common forms in use by the troop, including medical forms, applications and patrol forms.
Scouting Resources
Links to LA Council, Pacifica District, Misc. Scouting resources, Religious
award resources, etc................
Merit Badge Information is also available on this page.
Boy Scout Statistics
Some interesting statistics on Scouting and Leadership.
Evening Optimist Club of Gardena
is the official sponsoring organization for Troop 683.
IFD2006.ORG
The 2006 IFD website is now part of our website.
West Nile Virus
Questions and answers from the Center of Disease Control & Prevention
Symptoms of West Nile Virus Updated 8/16/2004
Q. What are
the symptoms of West Nile virus (WNV) infection?
A. Infection with WNV can be asymptomtic (no symptoms), or
can lead to West Nile fever or severe West Nile
disease.
It is estimated that about 20% of people who become infected with WNV will develop West Nile fever. Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash (on the trunk of the body) and swollen lymph glands. While the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have reported being sick for several weeks.
The symptoms of severe disease (also called neuroinvasive disease, such as West Nile encephalitis or meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 150 persons infected with the West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of disease. Serious illness can occur in people of any age, however people over age 50 and some immunocompromised persons (for example, transplant patients) are at the highest risk for getting severely ill when infected with WNV.
Most people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with West Nile virus will not develop any type of illness (an asymptomatic infection), however you cannot know ahead of time if you'll get sick or not when infected.
Q. What is
the incubation period in humans (i.e., time from infection to onset of disease
symptoms) for West Nile disease?
A. Usually 2 to 15 days.
Q. How long
do symptoms last?
A. Symptoms of West Nile fever will generally last a few
days, although even some healthy people report having the illness last for
several weeks. The symptoms of severe disease (encephalitis or meningitis) may
last several weeks, although neurological effects may be permanent.
Q. What
is meant by West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis, West Nile
poliomyelitis, “neuroinvasive disease” and West Nile fever?
A.
The most severe type of disease due to a person being infected with
West Nile virus is sometimes called “neuroinvasive disease,” because it
affects a person's nervous system. Specific types of neuroinvasive disease
include: West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis, West Nile
meningoencephalitis and West Nile poliomyelitis. Encephalitis refers to an
inflammation of the brain, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane around
the brain and the spinal cord, meningoencephalitis refers to inflammation of the
brain and the membrane surrounding it, and poliomyelitis refers to an
inflammation of the spinal cord.
West Nile Fever is another type of illness that can occur in people who become infected with the virus. It is characterized by fever, headache, tiredness, aches and sometimes rash. Although the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have been sick for several weeks.
Q. If
I have West Nile Fever, can it turn into West Nile encephalitis?
A.
When someone is infected with West Nile virus (WNV) they will typically have one
of three outcomes: No symptoms (most likely), West Nile fever (WNF in about 20%
of people) or severe West Nile disease, such as meningitis or encephalitis (less
than 1% of those who get infected). If you develop a high fever with severe
headache, consult your health care provider.
West Nile fever is characterized by symptoms such as fever, body aches, headache and sometimes swollen lymph glands and rash. West Nile fever generally lasts only a few days, though in some cases symptoms have been reported to last longer, even up to several weeks. West Nile fever does not appear to cause any permanent health effects. There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. People with West Nile fever recover on their own, though symptoms can be relieved through various treatments (such as medication for headache and body aches, etc.).
Some people may develop a brief, WNF-like illness (early symptoms) before they develop more severe disease, though the percentage of patients in whom this occurs is not known.
Occasionally, an infected person may develop more severe disease such as “West Nile encephalitis,” “West Nile meningitis” or “West Nile meningoencephalitis.” Encephalitis refers to an inflammation of the brain, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord, and meningoencephalitis refers to inflammation of the brain and the membrane surrounding it. Although there is no treatment for WNV infection itself, the person with severe disease often needs to be hospitalized. Care may involve nursing IV fluids, respiratory support, and prevention of secondary infections.
Complete information on the West Nile Virus can be found on the CDC website
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/