Health Ministry says 81 diagnosed with West Nile fever, 7 have died in outbreak
64 hospitalized with virus, six of whom are on ventilators; 20% experiencing symptoms including fever, headaches and body aches; only 1% have neurological issues
Reporter at The Times of Israel
The Health Ministry announced Thursday that 81 people have been diagnosed with West Nile fever in an ongoing outbreak this month, and a total of seven people diagnosed with the virus have died.
Among those infected, 64 are hospitalized and six are on ventilators, the ministry said, adding that most of the patients are from the central region of the country.
Twenty percent of the infected are symptomatic, experiencing fever, headaches and body aches. Less than 1% are experiencing neurological issues.
The Health Ministry stressed that the virus is not transmitted from person to person.
The disease is mostly spread by birds and transmitted to animals and humans by mosquito bites, said Dr. Elad Goldberg, deputy director of the Internal Medicine Department at the Beilinson Hospital earlier this week.
There are no specific treatments for the disease, he said. About 80% of those infected show no symptoms. Others develop a viral infection with headaches and fever.
Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant bodies of water. The Health Ministry recommends replacing water in vases and changing pets’ drinking bowls at least once per week.
The ministry said that the virus appeared earlier than usual this year, most likely due to the effects of global warming.
People in the center of Israel are especially at risk of contracting the disease because of the area’s high humidity, which creates an ideal breeding ground.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this story.
