Virus alert in Greece: 19 people dead

According to information released by the National Public Health Organization of Greece (EODY), 9 new cases of West Nile Virus have been diagnosed in the last week.

The statement indicated that the death toll has risen to 19, and the virus has been detected particularly in the regions of Thessaly, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, Western Macedonia, and Epirus.

Experts have assessed that the number of cases will increase in the coming months.

While there is no vaccine to protect against the West Nile Virus, which is generally transmitted through the bite of "Culex" mosquitoes, protection against mosquito bites is recommended.

WHAT IS WEST NILE VIRUS?

First identified in Uganda in 1937, the West Nile Virus is an arbovirus infection that has continued to spread globally over the years. The disease, which is mostly transmitted by the bite of Culex mosquitoes, frequently spreads between June and September. The reason for the rapid global spread of the disease is that mosquitoes carrying the virus also bite and infect various species of birds.

Mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus can cause the disease to be transmitted when they bite the skin. In most people, the West Nile virus manifests with minor symptoms or shows no symptoms at all. In rare cases, it can cause dangerous neurological infection.

IS THERE WEST NILE VIRUS IN TURKEY?

The West Nile Virus has been detected in Turkey since 2010. In 2018, an increase in cases was observed in Europe, with outbreaks developing in Italy and Greece resulting in deaths, and 26 cases were reported in Turkey that same year. In the period from 2010 to November 2021, 107 cases and 15 virus-related deaths were reported in Turkey.

The "West Nile Virus Infection," which also manifests in Turkey, carries a vital risk, especially for the elderly, children, pregnant women, and individuals with suppressed immune systems such as HIV/AIDS patients.