August 27th 2024.
The south of Spain has recently been hit with a concerning outbreak of the West Nile virus. It's a terrifying reality that two more people have lost their lives due to mosquito bites, sparking fears about the spread of this deadly virus. Unfortunately, this brings the total death toll to five since the beginning of this year in the southern region of the country. Among the latest victims was a 71-year-old man who was admitted to the intensive care unit at a hospital in Seville. The age of the other victim is still unknown, but it's been confirmed that both individuals resided in Coria del Rio, a small town located on the banks of the Guadalquivir River.
As if this wasn't alarming enough, ten new cases of the virus have also been identified in the area. One of the recent fatalities was an 86-year-old woman named Granada Romero Ruiz, who passed away on July 19th after being hospitalized on July 11th. Her son, Antonio Pineda, shared that she was in good health before being bitten by a mosquito. The devastating news of her death was announced by the La Puebla del Rio Town Hall, who expressed their deepest condolences and promised to work tirelessly to combat the spread of this virus through a permanent strategy against mosquitos.
Tragically, the other two victims who lost their lives to West Nile virus were residents of Dos Hermanas and Coria del Rio. It's a somber reminder that this virus knows no boundaries and can affect anyone, regardless of where they live. In fact, tourists traveling to Spain have been warned about the virus in recent years. But what exactly is West Nile virus? Well, it's a disease that is transmitted by the Culex mosquito and was first detected in Spain back in 2004, with horses being the most affected.
Elderly individuals and those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes and cancer are most at risk of developing severe symptoms. In children, the virus can even cause meningitis. Some common symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. Unfortunately, there are currently no vaccines or specific treatments for this disease. While most people infected with the virus may not feel sick, about 1 in 5 will develop a fever and other symptoms, and 1 in 150 will experience a severe, sometimes fatal, illness.
Mosquitoes carrying the virus are most likely to be found in wetlands and swimming pools in countryside areas. This is because they become infected when they feed on birds carrying the virus and then bite humans. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has reported a total of 713 cases and 67 deaths from West Nile virus across nine different countries in Europe. Italy, Greece, Romania, Hungary, and Spain were the main hotspots for the virus last year.
In response to the outbreak, measures have been put in place to try and curb the spread of the virus in Spain. However, Pablo Barreiro, an expert in infectious diseases, has warned that there is a potential for the virus to spread to other areas in the country following last year's outbreak. He explained that only a small percentage of cases will present symptoms, making it an illness that can easily go unnoticed. The director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Andrea Ammon, also expressed concerns about the impact of climate change on the spread of the virus, particularly through invasive mosquitoes and increased international travel from dengue-endemic countries. It's a reminder that we must all work together to prevent the further spread of this dangerous virus.
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