Mosquitoes infected with West Nile fever were found in Israel

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environmental Protection announce today (Thursday) that for the first time this year mosquitoes carrying the West Nile fever virus have been caught in Israel. The mosquitoes were located in the Tamar Regional Council in the south of the country, and following the findings, they directed the council to expand monitoring, extermination and information activities. Since the beginning of the year, six patients have been diagnosed with the disease in Israel.

As part of the ongoing monitoring carried out by the two ministries throughout the year, mosquitoes that were verified in the Ministry of Health laboratories as carriers of the West Nile virus were found in the area of ​​the Tamar Regional Council. So far, no other hotspots have been located in Israel where infected mosquitoes have been found.

Prof. Sigal Sadatsky, head of the public health division at the Ministry of Health, explains that West Nile fever is transmitted to humans through the bite of mosquitoes that feed on infected birds. “It is usually a mild disease with no symptoms, but in exceptional cases serious symptoms such as encephalitis or meningitis may also appear,” she said. The local authority to act quickly to reduce the risk. According to him, the public also has an important role by drying standing water and reporting hazards to the local authority.