Holiday warning as fatal paralysing virus that triggers seizures is found in Spanish and Italian hotspots
HOLIDAYMAKERS heading across the channel this summer have warned of a fatal paralysing virus after cases were reported in Spain and Italy.
A person in Seville, Spain and another in the province of Modena in Italy were infected with the West Nile virus.
The mosquito-borne virus won’t cause symptoms in most people, but about 20 per cent go on to develop West Nile fever, which leaves sufferers with aching bodies, vomiting and skin rashes.
One in 150 people infected with the West Nile virus may also develop severe neurological disease that triggers seizures, muscle weakness and paralysis, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns.
Two locally acquired cases of the virus – which is spread by bites from infected mozzies – have been detected in European holiday hot spots so far this year, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The first was reported the city of Seville in Spain, with the person experiencing symptoms at the beginning of March.
“Although an isolated case, it highlights that the transmission of West Nile virus can occur very early in the year, likely due to suitable climatic conditions,” the ECDC noted.
A second person was infected with the West Nile virus in Italy‘s Modena province, the health watchdog said.
Italy confirmed it’s first West Nile virus infection of 2024 in an official report published on June 27.
The case was locally acquired, meaning the person was infected in Italy and wasn’t bitten by a virus-laden mosquito abroad.
A West Nile virus infection was reported Lombardy in April this year, but the patient contracted the illness in Oman, the report added.
The virus was also detected in mosquitoes in the Chieti province in June, though no human cases have been reported.
It comes after mosquitoes carrying the deadly Zika virus were found in 26 European countries.
And Brits heading to Majorca and Menorca were warned over tiger mosquitoes carrying killer diseases after they were spotted on the popular holiday spots.
WORSENING OUTBREAKS
The ECDC last month warned that Europe was seeing worsening outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses.
Andrea Ammon, ECDC Director said: “Europe is already seeing how climate change is creating more favourable conditions for invasive mosquitoes to spread into previously unaffected areas and infect more people with diseases such as dengue.
“Increased international travel from dengue-endemic countries will also increase the risk of imported cases, and inevitably also the risk of local outbreaks.”
Throughout 2023, 713 locally acquired human cases of the West Nile virus were detected in 123 different regions of nine EU countries, the ECDC said.
Twenty-two of these regions were reported as places of infection for the first time in 2023 and 67 deaths were also reported.
The reported case count for 2023 was lower than that of 2022, which saw 1,133 infections reported.
But according to the ECDC, “the number of affected regions is the highest since the peak in 2018, indicating a wide geographical circulation of the virus”.
Data published by the agency in February indicated that most 2023 cases of the virus were spotted in the British holiday favourite of Italy, followed by Greece, Romania, Hungary and Spain.
West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes and commonly found in Africa, the Middle East, North America and West Asia, but critters carrying the condition are being discovered more frequently across Europe.
How to protect yourself against mosquito-borne illnesses
MOSQUITO-borne diseases are those spread by the bite of an infected mosquito.
They include the Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria.
Although people may not become sick after a bite from an infected mosquito, some people have a mild, short-term illness.
In rare cases, they may develop severe or long-term illness. Severe cases of mosquito-borne diseases can cause death.
There are certain measures you can take to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes while on holiday.
- Wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers to cover your arms and legs, particularly during early morning and early evening
- Use insect repellent on your skin (ideally one that contains the ingredient DEET)
- Close windows and doors whenever possible, or use blinds or screens
- Sleep under a mosquito net treated with insecticide, including during the day
Sources: CDC, NHS
Many people won’t develop symptoms if they catch the virus, and they will get better without treatment, but some will experience flu-like symptoms – such as a fever, body aches and a headache – as well as a rash and nausea.
Others might develop muscle weakness, confusion, vision loss, numbness, neck stiffness, diarrhoea and seizures.
People over the age of 50 and those with another health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer, are at increased risk of getting seriously ill.
Treatment usually involves rest, staying hydrated and over-the-counter pain relief.
But severe West Nile virus cases need to be treated in hospital, as they can result in meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns.