Parks and wetlands fumigated in Malaga town as fight against West Nile virus intensifies

Parks and wetlands in Alhaurín de la Torre in Malaga proovince's Guadalhorce valley have been fumigated in a bid to prevent the mosquito-borne West Nile virus from spreading.

The Junta de Andalucía made the order at the end of September, once the area was classified a "risk area" after traces of the virus were found in mosquitoes near the Guadalhorce river, specifically in the Campanillas district of Malaga city, very close to the Alhaurín municipality.

This caused the municipality to rise to level four risk of contagion, prompting town hall to fumigate the Zapata neighbourhoods, both on the banks of the river, as well as any other areas susceptible to harbouring mosquitoes.

"We have been informed that we have to act throughout the municipality," said environment councillor Abel Perea. Fumigation work will also continue in other parts of Alhaurín de la Torre, such as Finca El Portón, and parks and gardens, he added. Town hall will also have to install traps to locate mosquitoes and carry out analyses to test if they are carrying the virus.

The measures are part of the municipal programme for integrated vector surveillance and control (MVCV), which aims to identify infected mosquito populations, especially at distances of less than one and a half kilometres from urban centres and busy rural areas. The council must also provide the public with advice on how to avoid becoming infected, under the programme.

Alhaurín de la Torre town hall will now allocate specific funds for the fight against this virus, which could be considerable, Perea pointed out. During the last council meeting, all the councillors approved a move to urge the Junta's ministry of health to set up a line of subsidies or aid for municipalities affected by West Nile virus.

The proposal, presented by Perea, was unanimously supported, as was a motion from the Socialists urging the regional government to respond to the West Nile Fever virus "to prevent its proliferation and it becoming a public health problem".

Like Alhaurín de la Torre, Pizarra is also at risk level four for West Nile virus. Its town hall, as a result, has also been ordered to fumigate the municipality as a preventive measure.

These actions were carried out both in rural areas and in urban centres. Fumigation is part of a comprehensive surveillance plan to minimise the risk of contagion in the population.