Yzabelle Bostyn
ANDALUCIA sees two cases of West Nile virus after a young boy is infected and another suspected case is detected in Sevilla.
The Junta de Andalucia has confirmed a case of West Nile virus to the Spanish Ministry of Health.
A young boy under five, from the Lebrija area of Sevilla, was in hospital for ten days but is now ‘perfectly well’.
According to the Department of Health and Food, the boy started to show symptoms at the start of March.
Although it is not known when the boy may have caught the illness, they did confirm another probable case of a 17-year-old girl in Dos Hermanas, Sevilla.
She also began to show symptoms in early March and was in hospital for 18 days.
Now at home and doing well, more studies are needed on her case to confirm the infection.
The Junta has now implemented measures to control the issue, installing traps near homes.
The Estacion Biologica de Donana- CSIC (The Doñana Biological Station) has also installed eight traps to evaluate the issue near the boy’s home and so far, all tests have come back negative.
Local authorities have also been warned to control the presence of rubbish and activate control measures in the general population, such as giving out preventative medicine.
Dos Hermanas and Lebrija will be evaluated for their risk level.
Last year, 113 cases were identified, mostly in June, November and August.
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