Seville and Cadiz, provinces where there are more opportunities to become infected with the Nile virus
As every year at this time, Andalusia becomes a place of abundance of mosquitoes. Some of them carry diseases caused by the Nile virus, and the Andalusian government wanted to prevent possible cases, as happened last summer. For this reason, the General Directorate of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation of the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs launched a campaign on June 1 to combat mosquitoes carrying the Nil virus. A total of 127 Andalusian municipalities will be monitored, with five risk levels (the Seville city of Lebrija is at risk level 5, the highest of all), as well as two special monitoring regions in the provinces of Cadiz and Seville.
This year, the first cases of West Nile virus were detected in April (not exactly in Lebrija) as a result of the heavy rainfall recorded at this time of year. The Ministry of Health then highlighted the “intensive surveillance” that is being carried out in Andalusia regarding the West Nile virus, while noting the importance of the “collaborative work” of the administrations involved.
In the instructions published by the Ministry on the “implementation of health-related activities of the West Nile Virus (WNV) surveillance and integrated vector control program”, which have been reviewed Europe PressTwo special monitoring regions have been established. The first of these includes the municipalities of Cadiz Tarifa, Barbate, Vejer de la Frontera, Benalupe Casas Viejas and Medina Sidonia.
The second of these is made up of the Seville cities of Coria del Rio, La Puebla del Rio, Palomares del Rio, Almencilla and Bollos de la Mitación. In these two regions, which are established either because circulation of West Nile virus in mosquitoes, horses, birds and humans has been detected continuously for at least three consecutive years; or due to the ecological-environmental and epidemiological situation, in addition to the measures established according to the risk level of the municipality, the health administration may require “intensified inspections” carried out by public health agents (ASPs) and awareness-raising campaigns. among schoolchildren and adults, as well as the presence of sanatoriums and pharmacies that recommend the use of repellents and protective measures among the population.
At the highest risk level, level five (identification and confirmation of at least one human case in the municipality in the current season 2024), health services can intensify activities in blood transfusion and transplant centers and take epidemiological measures appropriate to the situation in accordance with situation. Current epidemiological surveillance protocol.
At risk level 4 (signs of circulation of Nile virus in the municipality in mosquitoes, birds and horses in the current season or in 2022 and 2023 at a distance of less than 1.5 km from the populated area or at least one case in humans per season 2022/2023) Andalusia has 23 cities, nine of which are in Seville; eight in Cadiz; three in Cordoba; two in Huelva and one in Jaén.
At risk 4, if there are human cases, regional health services communicate information to health workers, especially at the primary health care level, as well as epidemiological surveillance. Mortality of horses and wild birds is monitored, and monitoring is carried out on horse farms located within a radius of less than 1.5 kilometers from urban centers, “where possible and so determined.”
At risk level 3, 37 Andalusian municipalities are involved in this campaign, of which 23 are in the province of Seville; seven from Cadiz; two from Cordoba, two from Malaga and three from Huelva. There are 32 cities in Level 2: thirteen from Huelva; nine from Seville; eight from Cadiz and two from Jaén. Finally, at level 1 there are 34 municipalities, five of which are in Almeria; three from Cadiz; four from Cordoba; eight from Huelva; seven from Malaga and seven from Seville.