Health Ministry confirms second case of West Nile virus this year; infected mosquitoes caught in Eilat

The Health Ministry confirms the second case of the West Nile virus in a patient in central Israel this year, after the first was confirmed in early June.

At the same time, the Environmental Protection Ministry reports the capture of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus in Eilat.

It has instructed local authorities at the locations where infected mosquitoes were found to further expand monitoring and pest control efforts.

West Nile Fever is caused by a virus found primarily in birds. It is transmitted to humans and various animals through mosquito bites from mosquitoes that feed on infected birds. Most individuals infected with West Nile virus do not develop symptoms of West Nile fever.

Symptoms appear in approximately 20 percent of infected individuals with varying degrees of severity, including fever, general malaise, headache, or widespread body aches. Neurological complications occur in a minority of cases, with the elderly being at increased risk.

To avoid mosquito bites and encounters, the Environmental Protection Ministry recommends that the public drain and dry standing water sources that could serve as mosquito breeding grounds, including containers that could accumulate water, such as old tires and buckets, and to prevent water accumulation at the bottoms of pots and planters.

It also recommends emptying or replacing water at least once a week in containers such as flower vases and pet drinking bowls, covering swimming pools and cleaning and emptying gutters.