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First West Nile fever cases found in EU: ECDC

Xinhua, July 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The first West Nile fever cases of the year in the European Union (EU) have been reported during the past week, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Friday.

According to the ECDC, the two countries were Italy - one confirmed case in Bologna, and Romania where there were two confirmed cases -- one in the Dojl district and another in the Braila district.

Since May 30, ECDC has been monitoring the current West Nile fever transmission season in Europe and its neighboring countries. The first case was found in Russia at the beginning of July and cases continue to be reported there, and in the countries neighboring Europe. Several cases have already been reported in Israel.

According to ECDC, West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus. Humans and horses are incidental dead-end hosts. Most human infections are asymptomatic and the majority of clinical cases of West Nile infections are mild and present with flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache and body aches. In more severe cases, most often observed among the elderly, there may be signs of encephalitis, meningo-encephalitis or meningitis.

In Europe, West Nile virus outbreaks are erratic and spatially and temporally-limited phenomena, occurring quite unpredictably. There is no specific treatment for viral infection and a vaccine is not available.

The ECDC, headquartered in the Swedish capital since 2005, works with health authorities across Europe to fight infectious diseases. Endit