From the middle July increased mortality of wild birds, mainly corvids, is reported in Warsaw and its surroundings. On Tuesday, 13 August Chief Sanitary Inspectorate he informed that Sample tests showed the presence of West Nile virus (WNV).
What is West Nile Virus? How is it transmitted?
West Nile fever is a viral disease, transmitted from animals to humans. It is transmitted between animals – including humans – by blood-sucking insects, mainly mosquitoes, but also midges, midges, dead flies, and rarely ticks. These insects, together with wild birds, are the reservoir of the disease. For this reason, you should not approach dead birds; instead, it is a good idea to notify the Municipal Guard.
Transmission of the virus during organ transplantation and blood transfusions, and from mother to child during pregnancy, has also been confirmed. However, there has been no human-to-human transmission of West Nile fever through direct contact (e.g., touching, kissing).
In the current situation, the risk of symptomatic infections in humans in our country should be considered low.
– calms down Chief Veterinary Inspectorate.
Who can get West Nile fever?
The virus primarily infects birds and humans, and is also dangerous for horses. Pets can also be infected, but this happens very rarely. In addition, in their case, the course of the disease is mild, and symptoms include only weakness, fever, and muscle cramps. However, you should still go to the vet for medication. Risk factors for a severe form of the disease include older age, male gender, and immunosuppression. The effects of the disease can last up to several years after infection.
What are the symptoms of West Nile fever?
Symptoms of the disease appear 2-14 days after the bite of a mosquito, which is the main source of infection. Acute symptoms last 3-10 days, but pain and fatigue can last for several weeks.
In most people, i.e. 80 percent, West Nile virus infection is asymptomatic. In the remaining cases, the course of infection usually includes:
- fever,
- feeling tired,
- headaches
- muscle weakness,
- trouble concentrating,
- papular rash,
- sometimes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
In severe cases, the infection causes inflammation of the brain or meninges, and the patient has fever and symptoms affecting the nervous system, e.g. impaired consciousness and seizures.
The severity also depends on the age of the infected person. In children, it is often a mild fever and malaise, in young people there is a high fever, redness of the conjunctiva, headache, muscle pain, while inflammation of the brain and meninges and general exhaustion due to the infection can occur in older people. In one in about 150 infected people, the disease takes the form of a neuroinfection with involvement of the central nervous system. The mortality rate in this form of infection is about 10%.
How to avoid West Nile virus infection?
The best way to prevent infection with this virus is to eliminate blood-sucking insects from the environment and reduce exposure to blood-sucking insect bites by using personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment that reduces the risk of mosquito bites includes clothing that covers body parts exposed to bites, especially in the evening, using mechanical mosquito barriers on windows and doors, and using mosquito repellents (repellents, electric fumigators, insect lamps, and others).
People who have professional contact with sick or dead birds are advised to use disposable gloves, mouth and nose masks, and safety glasses when handling potentially infected biological material. Bystanders should not touch dead birds.