Latest Health Updates : Nearly 80% of those infected with the West Nile virus do not exhibit any symptoms, yet the virus can cause a fatal neurological condition in humans, according to the Kerala Health Department. The virus is primarily spread by mosquito bites.
After West Nile fever, which is spread by vectors, was discovered, the Kerala Health Department issued an alert in the districts of Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kozhikode. On Monday, the illness took a life in Thrissur, and over the previous two days, six more confirmed cases were reported in Kozhikode and Malappuram.
According to representatives of the health department, a 79-year-old male patient was identified as the victim of the West Nile fever death, which was recorded at Vadanappally in Thrissur. In addition, five other possible instances of the fever—which is carried by mosquitoes of the Culex species—have been documented.
According to Health Minister Veena George, a warning was sent out in these districts, and officials from the health department were instructed to step up vector control efforts in collaboration with local self-government organizations. As part of stepping up the control efforts, she said, vector control units in the districts have been gathering samples.
A 47-year-old guy from Kerala passed away from West Nile fever in 2022. Puthanpurackal Joby, 47, the victim, was a native of Panancheri in the district of Thrissur. A youngster in Malappuram also passed away from a fever in 2019.
The health authorities claims that persons who contract the West Nile virus may develop a deadly neurological illness. Nonetheless, about 80% of infected individuals won’t exhibit any symptoms. The primary method of transmission is by mosquito bites. Aegean are the West Nile virus’s natural hosts.
Most typically, bites from infected mosquitoes result in human infection. After feeding on infected birds, mosquitoes contract the virus, which then circulates in their blood for a few days before entering the salivary glands. The virus can then spread to people and other animals through mosquito bites, where it may result in disease.
In 2011, 208 instances of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) were recorded in Kerala, India, and it was discovered that over 40% of those cases were West Nile fever. This marked the first detection of West Nile fever in India.