The first case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in the province of Malaga has been confirmed this year. The affected individual is a 69-year-old resident of Pizarra, who has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital in the capital.
The health alert has been extended to this town in the Guadalhorce Valley, following the earlier inclusion of Cártama and Campanillas in the risk zone. This case, along with another detected in Almonte (Huelva), brings the total number of human cases in Andalusia to 62 so far this year, according to data from the Regional Ministry of Presidency, Health, and Emergencies of the Junta de Andalucía.
Of the 62 registered cases, 38 present mild symptoms and 24 are neuroinvasive, with two resulting in fatalities. A total of 27 patients have required hospitalization, and ten of them remain currently admitted.
Currently, 32 Andalusian municipalities are on alert due to WNV circulation. This necessitates intensified entomological, animal, and human surveillance measures, as well as the promotion of community actions and communication to citizens through community pharmacies and nursing staff to encourage the adoption of protective measures.
Laboratory studies have been conducted to rule out West Nile virus infection in 636 users, and arbovirus screening has been performed on 128 cases of viral meningitis. Additionally, 5,369 determinations were made during blood donor screening between June 1 and August 31.
Local administrations must reinforce control and treatment measures for mosquitoes transmitting the disease while the area remains under alert.
