A serious health warning has been issued for Spain after ten people died from a deadly virus. A new case of West Nile Virus has been found in Los Palacios (Seville) and carrier mosquitoes in Tarifa, Cádiz according to the latest reports.
In Andalusia, ten people have died from this virus, all of them in the province of Seville. The Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs of the Andalusian Regional Government reported on Monday 21 October that a new case of West Nile fever has been confirmed this week in the Seville municipality of Los Palacios y Villafranca.
Most people who become infected with West Nile Virus do not have symptoms, the Foreign Office Travel Health Pro website has said. Patients develop symptoms including fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, and skin rash in about 20 per cent of cases. Symptoms can develop into a more serious illness including meningitis and encephalitis.
The Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs of the Junta de Andalucía has reported that the virus causing West Nile fever has been detected in carrier mosquitoes captured in Tarifa, according to entomological surveillance information.
Health and Consumer Affairs is carrying out continuous monitoring of mosquito surveillance and control actions being carried out by pest control companies contracted by the provinces of Cádiz and Seville.
The Tarifa City Council has shared advice and guidelines on its social media to prevent mosquito bites:
- Turn upside down containers that can accumulate water: kitchenware, watering cans, ashtrays, buckets…
- Seal tightly those you can’t empty: tanks, cisterns and barrels. Cover vents with a fitted mosquito net.
- Frequently empty containers that accumulate water: plant saucers, animal drinkers, vases and flower pots.
- Avoid water accumulation in drains and gutters, and disinfect them weekly with bleach.
The Foreign Office advice for avoiding mosquito bites is:
It is important to:
- cover up
- use repellents
- use nets
Mosquitoes that spread chikungunya, dengue, West Nile virus, yellow fever and Zika mainly bite during the day and at dusk.
Symptoms
The incubation period is typically 2 to 6 days, but ranges from 2 to 14 days, and up to 21 days in immunocompromised people. While most infected people are asymptomatic, the majority of clinical cases are mild and present with a sudden onset of influenza-like illness (fever, headache, myalgia). This may include lymphadenopathy and a maculopapular or morbilliform rash on the neck, trunk, arms or leg. Most uncomplicated infections resolve in 3 to 6 days.
Less than 1% (about 1/150) of infected individuals develop neuroinvasive disease which typically presents as meningitis, encephalitis or acute flaccid paralysis. Symptoms include high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, severe muscle weakness, paralysis and coma. Ataxia, cranial nerve abnormalities, myelitis, eye pain, polyradiculitis and seizures have also been reported.
Those aged over 50 or with underlying medical conditions (such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease) are at greatest risk of severe disease. The case fatality rate is highest in patients aged over 70. For more information visit the Foreign Office website here.