2023-09-27 19:59:32
Updated Wednesday, September 27, 2023 – 19:59
This virus, unusual in Spain although there have been some cases, is essentially transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes and 80% of infected people do not present any symptoms.
An ambulance at the doors of a Barcelona hospital. Oscar Espinosa Saturated nurse Everything you need to know about the Nile virus
A 76 year old woman neighbor of El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona) and who was admitted to the ICU of the Bellvitge Hospital in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat is the first case treated as West Nile virus (VNO) in the metropolitan area of Barcelona.
According to sources from the Catalan Department of Health, this is a 76-year-old woman, in a delicate state of health, who was admitted to the Bellvitge Hospital and later to the ICU.
Currently, according to the same sources, he is in a social health center in the process of recovery, given that, beyond the infection, his health is delicate.
The case is declared probable due to the difficulty of making the definitive diagnosis and, at the moment, Health has not received results from the Carlos III Health Institute of the samples sent to confirm that it is WNV.
This virus, unusual in Spain although there have been some cases, is essentially transmitted by infected mosquito bite and 80% of infected people do not present any symptoms.
In those that do present symptoms, they can be fever, headaches, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting and, sometimes, a skin rash; In the case of a severe condition, it can disturb the nervous system and cause encephalitis or meningitis, which can be fatal.
Given the suspicion of this case, the Department of Health of the Generalitat has alerted all healthcare centers, both primary and hospital, to detect new possiblecasessomething that has not occurred at the moment.
An entomological investigation of the area where the person lived has also been carried out to analyze larvae and adult mosquitoes.
Likewise, control measures have been adopted in sinks and areas that require special surveillance, due to the large influx of citizens there, and specifically this area was treated with larvicides on two occasions, one before and one after the declaration of the suspicion to ensure disinfection.
Information leaflets with advice on how to prevent the proliferation of mosquitoes in homes have also been distributed in mailboxes.
For its part, the Blood and Tissue Bank has begun universal screening for WNV on all donations in Catalonia.
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