ISRAEL CONFIRMS FOURTH DEATH DUE TO WEST NILE FEVER; HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE DISEASE

Israel’s Ministry of Health confirmed the fourth death due to West Nile fever. The ministry said on Wednesday that it is currently investigating a suspected case where the virus may have caused another patient’s death, Xinhua news agency reported.

The ministry also reported six new cases of infection with the virus, bringing the total number to 48 since the beginning of May. Among them, 36 were hospitalised, with five patients under ventilation.

On Tuesday, Israel’s environmental protection and health ministries reported that mosquitoes infected with the virus were detected at Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv. Following the detection, the Israel Airports Authority conducted extensive pest control in the airport area.

What is West Nile Fever?

This is a condition that is caused by the West Nile Virus and it spreads through mosquito bites. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the West Nile virus can infect humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses, and some other mammals. “In very rare cases, the virus can spread in transfused blood, a transplanted organ, or through the placenta to a fetus.”

West Nile virus usually doesn’t cause any symptoms or mild flu-like symptoms. However, in certain cases, when the condition becomes severe, it can cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and inflammation of the brain and its surrounding membrane (meningoencephalitis); all of which might turn out to be fatal.

Symptoms of West Nile fever

Here, take a look at some of the common symptoms of West Nile fever.

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscles aches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Rash (usually concentrated around your chest and back)
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Sore throat
• Pain behind your eyes

West Nile encephalitis and meningitis

Here, take a look at some of the more serious symptoms of West Nile Infection caused due to encephalitis and meningitis.

• Intense, very painful headache
• High fever
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle movements you can’t control
• Seizures
• Paralysis
• Coma.

Causes of West Nile Fever

The virus is usually spread to humans through the bite of an infected female mosquito. The mosquitoes get the virus when they bite an infected bird. Johns Hopkins Medicine says that crows and jays are the most common birds linked to the virus. But at least 110 other bird species can also carry the virus.

“West Nile virus isn’t spread between humans. But there have been a few cases where it has spread through organ transplants. The risk of getting the virus from an organ is unknown. Not all organ donors are tested for West Nile virus. All blood is screened for the virus. The risk for getting West Nile virus from blood is much lower than the risk of not having any procedure that would call for a blood transfusion.”

Risk Factors of West Nile Fever

While the infected mosquitoes can bite anyone, however, certain people have a higher risk of getting severely ill if they get the virus. Some people who have a higher risk of being infected with the West Nile virus. These include:

• Are over the age of 60
• Are an organ transplant recipient
• Have cancer
• Have diabetes
• Have high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Have kidney disease.

(With inputs from IANS)

2024-06-27T04:36:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd