Two cases of Nile fever registered in Extremadura
Saturday, August 24, 2024, 8:48 PM.
The Extremadura Health Service reports two cases of Nile fever in the region, the first this year. They are a 66-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman, both from the Don Benito-Villanueva health district. They were hospitalized in the ward of the Don Benito Hospital. Both are in stable condition, the SES noted.
There had been no reported human cases or probable cases of West Nile virus in the region since October 31 last year. Then, a 57-year-old man was admitted to the Don Benito Villanueva Hospital ward as a possible case.
On August 13, the Department of Health and Consumer Affairs of the Andalusian Government reported the death of an 87-year-old woman with West Nile virus, who had previous pathologies, in the Seville municipality of Coria del Rio. It also confirmed ten cases: three people from Dos Hermanas, four from Coria del Rio, one from La Puebla del Rio, another from Seville and one from Navarre, who was in Utrera.
What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is a virus from the same family as dengue, yellow fever and Zika viruses. It mainly affects wild birds, including birds migrating to Europe from Africa and the Middle East, and is transmitted from birds to humans through mosquito bites. West Nile fever is a disease caused by the virus of the same name,” Cinfa explains. Its presentation is seasonal, in our conditions from May to November.