Researchers Want to Crack the West Nile Virus Code

Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center are trying to unlock the secrets of the West Nile virus. The mosquito-borne illness sickens hundreds of people every year, and in some cases can be deadly.

But some people who get the virus don't show a single symptom.

Researchers are working to find out why and what it will take to create a vaccine.

"People are walking around with it everyday and they show no symptoms, so I still wonder why I got it and got such a severe form," said Dallas resident Lisa Cheeks.

She contracted the West Nile virus, and doctors told the otherwise healthy mother of three the virus had traveled to her brain.

Soon, simple things like talking with her children became impossible.

"I was sleeping 22 hours a day. I was having word-finding difficulties. I was confused," Cheeks said. "I knew I was very sick, but the thought of getting out of bed was overwhelming. I literally thought I was going to die."

Scientists at UT Southwestern are decoding the DNA of West Nile virus, going line-by-line to see how the virus has mutated from season to season.

"We are trying to characterize exactly how does these changes in the sequences of the viral genome, how does that affect how infectious it is," said UT Southwestern researcher Chukwuemika Aroh.

So far, they've discovered the changes inside the West Nile virus strain that caused Lisa Cheeks and 1,800 other Texans to become seriously ill in 2012.

They will use that information to see if there's a way to predict future mutations and if there's something in our human DNA That plays a role in how sick a person gets.

"As in West Nile virus, most of us can fight this off, but it has the ability to take advantage of some versions of the immune system that just a subset of people have – by chance – and they're more at risk to have the disease," said Dr. Ward Wakeland, chairman of immunology UT Southwestern.

But if they can piece together the puzzle, their research will help drug makers pinpoint a target when developing possible vaccines or medicines.

"It would make me so happy to see no one else have to go through this," Cheeks said.

She still feels the effects from the illness. Her memory isn't what it used to be, she still gets numbness in her arm and she tires easily, but she doesn't let it keep her from enjoying life.

"It was a true lesson in waking up and saying, 'I might not be able to take care of my kids,' and that was panic mode for me. That was scary. So I'm grateful I get to now," she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says between 70 to 80 percent of people who become infected with West Nile virus do not develop any symptoms.