Have a strong immune system to fight any virus

Stimulating the lymph and immune system is an excellent way to help your body throw off illness. Lymph is driven by muscle movement (i.e. full-body exercise like swimming, stretching, deep diaphragmatic breathing, etc.), gentle lymph massage and herbs.
Some of the best lymph-stimulating herbs are: Poke root (Phytolacca americana), Blue Flag (Iris veriscolor) and Red Root (Ceanothus spp.). These are short-term herbs that are very powerful and should be taken in small amounts, carefully and for short stretches of time (a few days to a few weeks max). Additionally, more gentle lymph movers like Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) and Cleavers (Gallium aparine) are also effective for long-term lymph stimulation and can be taken for longer stretches (up to a few months).

Along with lymph movers, I like to support the liver and also flush the toxins out of the body at the same time. The lymph basically handles toxins and pathogens that are eventually broken down and eliminated via the blood, kidneys and urinary tract. We can help this process along with both liver support herbs like Burdock root (Arctium lappa) as well “flushing” herbs (tonifying diuretics) like Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale).

We can stimulate white blood cell creation and activity (immune stimulation) using herbs like Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) and Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum). These herbs are short-term (a few days to a few weeks max). More gentle immune tonics can also be used for longer periods (several months at a time) like Astragalus root (Astragalus membranaceous) and Reishi or Shiitake mushrooms.

We can palliate the symptoms (i.e. help our body feel better when we have the flu) using herbs like Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Elderberry flower (Sambucus nigra) and Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum). Heating herbs like Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum spp.) and Wild Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) are excellent anti-viral diaphoretics (help your body open pores and sweat out illness) that assist in your body not only feeling better from muscle aches and fever, but also help your immune system combat the viral attack.

To summarize, here is a listing that organizes what it is we’re trying to do to help our body heal faster and feel better when affected by a virus such as the West Nile Virus. As is the case with herbal medicine, we’re not using the herbs to fight the pathogen directly so much as using the herbs to help our body back into a balance which enables it to successfully overcome a disease state.

Strong Lymph Stimulation (Short Term, a few days to a few weeks max)

Poke Root
Blue Flag
Red Root

Gentle Lymph Stimulation (Long Term, a few weeks to a few months)

Red Clover
Cleavers

Liver, Kidney Support and Flushing (a few days to a few weeks)

Burdock Root
Dandelion Root

Strong Immune Stimulation (a few days to a few weeks)

Echinacea
Boneset

Gentle Immune Stimulation and Tonics (weeks to months)

Astragalus
Reishi
Shiitake

Palliative Care, Anti-virals and Diaphoretic/Diuretics (help your body feel better, excrete the sickness, ease muscle aches and pains)

Ginger root
Elderberry flower
Yarrow
Boneset
Wild Rosemary

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Comment: Some herbs like poke root and other herbs are not recommended for pregnant women. Strengthen your immune system, avoid mosquitoes and for Zika virus (avoid sex with zika virus infected person).