What is West Nile virus & how is it transmitted?

West Nile virus was found -for the first time- in 1937, in a febrile woman in Uganda, in West Nile province. The first large epidemic in America took place in 1999. In Europe, the first large-scale epidemic took place in 1996 in Bucharest and the second one in Russia, 1999. The virus is transmitted through an infected mosquito (Culex spp.) that previously had a blood meal from an infected bird. It infects mainly birds, humans and equines. Less common ways of infection are through blood transfusion, while there have been reported worldwide cases of infection through transplantation, from the mother to the fetus, through breast feeding and through handling sick or deceased infected animals. West Nile virus is NOT TRANSMITTED FROM PERSON TO PERSON. It is not transmitted through social or sexual contact.