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Europa Press
Seville
Tuesday, 27 August 2024, 13:13
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Five people have died so far this summer in Spain's Andalucía region as a result of the West Nile fever virus, transmitted to people via mosquito bites.
The regional ministry of health reported the most two recent deaths, both from Coria del Río in Seville province, on Monday. These two new deaths, one who was a 71-year-old resident of the town, are in addition to the previous death of a 71-year-old woman from Dos Hermanas, an 86-year-old woman infected in La Puebla del Río and an 87-year-old woman from Coria del Río.
In the past week, there have been two new cases of people becoming infected with the virus, specifically two people from Dos Hermanas, four from Coria del Río, two from Los Palacios y Villafranca, one person from Gerena and another from Carmona. Three of these cases have already been discharged from hospital.
The presence of the virus has been detected in mosquito captures carried out in the Seville municipalities of Almensilla, Los Palacios y Villafranca, Utrera, and Villamanrique de la Condesa (Seville); in the Cordoba municipalities of Montalbán and Puente Genil; as well as in Benalup Casas Viejas and Vejer de la Frontera in Cádiz.
The CSIC Doñana biological station has also located the presence of the virus in mosquitoes captured in the Seville municipalities of La Puebla del Río, Coria del Río and Palomares del Río.
The virus was also detected in a horse in Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz province) and a horse in Écija (Seville) and in an imperial eagle chick in La Carolina (Jaén).
Control
Regional authorities have alerted municipal personnel of the public health actions to be taken in accordance with the programme of surveillance and control of vectors transmitting West Nile Fever in Andalucía in a bid to significantly reduce the probability of transmission to the population.
Pest control companies contracted by the Cadiz and Seville provincial councils are monitoring the situation and carrying out controls in peri-urban areas, as well as holding meetings with town officials.
The weekly public health report concludes that the population densities of females of potentially transmitting mosquito species are at high levels in Vejer de la Frontera (Cádiz) and Los Palacios y Villafranca (Seville) and at medium levels in Almensilla, Bollullos de la Mitación, Las Cabezas de San Juan, Gelves and Villamanrique de la Condesa (Seville), Barbate and Benalup Casas Viejas (Cádiz).
WNV infection is a zoonosis disease transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Culex. The disease affects countries in southern, eastern and western Europe. The virus is transmitted among birds through the bite of infected mosquitoes, which is its natural cycle. Humans and other mammals can be infected collaterally, without further transmission from them. About 80% of WNV infections in humans are asymptomatic. WNF is the most common clinical presentation. Elderly and immunocompromised persons are at increased risk of developing WNV neuroinvasive disease.
The regional ministry of Health insists on the need for the population to maintain preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites during the hours of greatest activity of the species that transmit this disease (around dawn and after dusk), both individual - with the use of registered repellents for topical use and light clothing that covers most of the skin - as well as domestic situations - with the use of mosquito nets or environmental repellents - especially for the vulnerable population with compromised immunity.
These recommendations include avoiding stagnant water accumulations (gardens, flower pots, utensils, etc.) to prevent them from being used for the development of mosquito larvae, such as the well-known tiger mosquito.
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