2023-09-20 19:01:00
As several media reports, doctor Luis Enjuanes from the Spanish National Research Council warned during a conference regarding the so-called West Nile virus: “It can travel from North Africa to Ibiza within 48 hours due to strong air currents that carry mosquitoes with it.”
According to Enjuanes, climate change in particular is promoting rapid spread. Due to the strong air currents and the changing temperatures, the mosquitoes find better conditions.
However, the story is not entirely new for Europeans: The West Nile virus broke out in Spain in 2020. Some people died from it back then. According to the Spanish “Diario de Ibiza”, cases were recently registered in three villages in the south of the country.
The disease has also already been detected in mosquitoes in Switzerland. Migratory birds are said to have brought the pathogen into the country.
According to health authorities, most infected people recover from the disease within a few days. Many people experience no symptoms or at most flu-like symptoms.
However, less than one percent may experience neurological problems. For example, it can lead to meningitis or inflammation of the entire brain. In such severe cases, infection with the West Nile virus can even be fatal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
WNV is usually transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Such stings most often occur at dawn or dusk. The insects themselves first become infected with birds.
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