Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Health Ministry says West Nile fever diagnoses rose in past week from 13 to 17
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The Health Ministry announces that the number of people diagnosed with West Nile fever in Israel has climbed from 13 last week to 17.
One of those people is hospitalized, while another died earlier this month due to complications of the disease.
The Environmental Protection Ministry says that mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus have been captured in the Petah Tikva area, Kafr Qasim, Kafr Bara, the Ben Gurion Airport area, and the Brenner and Central Arava regional councils.
The Health Ministry says that most of the patients suffered from symptoms typical of the disease, including fever, rash and altered state of consciousness.
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