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Andalucía's health authorities have confirmed five new cases of West Nile fever, bringing the total number of infections recorded this season to 26. All five new cases are in the province of Seville, spread across Almensilla, Dos Hermanas, Palomares del Río and Villamanrique de la Condesa, which has recorded two of the new infections.

 

Every case this season has been in Seville province, concentrated in a cluster of municipalities that includes Coria del Río, La Puebla del Río, Dos Hermanas and Villamanrique de la Condesa among the worst affected. Of the 26 people infected, one has died, one has recovered, and 24 are described as progressing favourably. Nineteen cases were mild, while seven developed the more serious neuroinvasive form of the disease.

 

The virus claimed its first victim of the year in Andalucía earlier this month, a development that underlined the seriousness of the current outbreak.

 

On a more positive note, the alert that had been in place for Torredonjimeno in Jaén was lifted on Monday morning, suggesting that surveillance and control measures are having some effect in certain areas. There are currently 20 municipalities on alert across the region, the majority of them in Seville province, though Fuengirola, Mijas and Campanillas in Málaga, Salobreña in Granada and Lopera in Jaén are also included.

 

The scale of testing under way gives some sense of how seriously authorities are taking the situation. Laboratory tests to rule out West Nile infection have been carried out on 358 people, arboviral screening has been conducted on 110 cases of viral meningitis, and more than 3,000 blood donor tests were performed between June 1 and August 9.

 

Municipalities on alert are required to intensify mosquito control beyond urban areas, extending to within 1.5 kilometres of known breeding or roosting sites. Health authorities are urging the public, particularly vulnerable individuals, to take precautions and above all to avoid mosquito bites. In areas where high mosquito activity has been detected in recent weeks, that message is especially important.

 

The advice is straightforward: use repellent, cover up at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, and ensure there is no standing water near your home where they can breed.

 

 

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