There are already four victims of the West Nile virus spread by tiger mosquito. The virus has been found in normal mosquitoes already. The fourth victim was an elderly man at the age of 70. He developed encephalitis, but has previously suffered from other health problems. Physicians of the emergency department of a hospital in central Macedonia took care of his condition during the previous days.
Another 13 cases of the West Nile virus were found yesterday. With them the number of patients reached 60 – 29 of them are hospitalized; eight of them are elderly people who are in the emergency department. The Ministry of Health prohibited taking blood from people who live in Nile mosquitoes affected areas. The consequences of this were endured by patients suffering from Mediterranean anemia. When people suffering from Mediterranean anemia went to the hospital of Larissa yesterday for blood transfusion they were told that there were no bottles and that they had to wait the bottles with blood to be transferred from other hospitals. This happened because there was a case of West Nile virus infection in the hospital of Larissa.
The staff of the Ipokratio hospital in Thessaloniki is very careful with the patients who are giving blood. Donors in the towns of Katerini, Larisa, Veria, Kilkis and Janica are not allowed to give blood. “There is no ban on donors in Thessaloniki. Directives do not allow people who spent the last 24 hours in the areas of Larissa, Pieria, Imathia, Pella and Kilkis to donate blood,” said the director of the Donation Center at the Ipokratio hospital Mrs. Papayoanu for APE-MPE.
At the same time, the West Nile virus was detected in ordinary mosquitoes of the culex pipiens genus, which are found in northern Greece. Extremely high temperatures in recent days create ideal conditions for the appearance of flocks of mosquitoes and experts believe that the number of cases of infected will decrease suddenly when the temperature drops. The Ministry of Health organizes a seminar tomorrow. It will be held at the amphitheater of the Papageorgiu hospital and will inform doctors and medical staff on measures to be taken to encephalitis caused by the West Nile virus.
For its part, the authorities of Central Macedonia region pledged to put into effect more programs to control mosquitoes in regions where they are most common. Thessaloniki Mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos has also requested approval and funding of such a program.
What is interesting is that 80% (4 of 5 people) of the infected by the virus have no symptoms. 20% of those infected have very weak symptoms, which consist of headache, fever, malaise, aching muscles and joints, vomiting and sometimes skin eczema. In serious cases the exacerbated symptoms include headache, fever, head immobility, apathy, dizziness, coma, cramps and even paralysis.
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