Spanish City of Seville Reports Confirmed Cases of Nile Fever

MADRID, KOMPAS.com – The Spanish city of Seville reported 12 confirmed cases of Nile Fever while a remaining seven samples are pending results.

The regional government of Andalusia said on August 13 that 17 out of the 19 confirmed Nile Fever cases are hospitalized while seven others are in intensive care.

Nile Fever is transmitted by mosquito bites and the Andalusian government suggested its residents install mosquito nets and screens in their homes.

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The West Nile fever virus produces only mild flu-like symptoms in most cases.

However, in a small percentage of cases, it can lead to serious complications such as inflammation of the brain and spinal cord with potentially fatal consequences.

Originally from Africa, the disease has spread in Europe, Asia, and North America. Several cases have been spotted in Spain over the past decade.

The virus belongs to the same strand as the Zika virus, which caused outbreaks in North and South America in 2015 and 2018.

Greece has reported 10 cases of Nile fever and one death so far this summer, while Romania has reported two cases, according to the European Centre for Disease Control.

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The spate of Nile fever in Seville has occurred just as Spain grapples with one of the severest Covid-19 epidemics in Europe with more than 320,000 diagnosed cases and more than 28,000 deaths so far.

(Writer: Clara-Laeila Laudette | Editors: Inti Landauro and Angus MacSwan)

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-nile-fever-spain/twelve-cases-of-nile-fever-confirmed-in-spains-andalusia-idUSKCN25927G