Doctors doubt Georgia girl had West Nile

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A 7-year-old girl who has been tested for the West Nile virus was discharged from the hospital Monday in good condition.

Paula Martin, a spokeswoman for Gwinnett Medical Center, said doctors believe the girl suffered from viral encephalitis and did not have West Nile virus. Test results, however, won't be known for up to four weeks.

Martin said the West Nile angle had been blown out of proportion by the news media.

"It got out of hand," she said. "They just tested for West Nile to be on the safe side."

Saturday, state health officials in Florida announced they were contacting area hospitals to see if the virus, recently discovered in a dead crow found near Tallahassee, could have spread to humans.

To date, there have been no reported human cases in Florida.

Health officials in Georgia are also testing dead birds for the virus. Eighty-eight of 111 birds collected since the start of the year have tested negative for the virus. Test results for the remaining birds are pending.

The West Nile virus first appeared in the United States in 1999 in New York City. Since then, 82 cases of the disease have been reported in humans in New York and New Jersey, with nine deaths. There have been no reported cases of the virus in humans this year.

Mosquitoes spread the virus by feeding on infected birds and then biting humans. The disease does not spread from person to person.

West Nile virus is in the same family of viruses as some forms of encephalitis and has similar symptoms, such as dizziness, headache, fatigue and mental confusion. However, West Nile virus can also bring symptoms of muscular weakness and paralysis. In Europe, Asia, and Africa, West Nile virus is the main cause of encephalitis.

CNN Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland contributed to this report.