West Nile virus victim in Keratea
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
The first 2014 West Nile virus infection incident in Greece has been confirmed by laboratory tests, as was announced on Wednesday by the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO).
The confirmation concerns an 85-year-old elderly male, resident of Eastern Attiki, in Keratea, who allegedly did not travel recently to any other areas in Greece.
KEELPNO has already informed local authorities of the possibility for more West Nile virus infections during the 2014 summer - requesting mosquito-control measures - based on the epidemiological data for the 2010-2013 period, as well as on international scientific publications on the subject.
According to KEELPNO, the West Nile virus steadily re-appears in the summer months of the last five years, with human infections recorded in various areas of Greece.
The virus is transmitted through an ordinary mosquito bite and in the majority of infections patients either remain fully asymptomatic or express mild symptoms. Elderly people, as well as people with chronic diseases, face the gravest danger of more serious symptoms.
