West Nile Fever Infected Mosquitoes Discovered in Eilat

The Israeli Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environmental Protection have identified, for the first time, a mosquito in Eilat infected with West Nile fever, confirming that so far no patient has been diagnosed in the area.

This comes after the Israeli Ministry of Health announced that 48 people were diagnosed with West Nile fever during the month of June, 36 of whom were hospitalized, 5 of whom were on ventilators.

West Nile fever is a serious, incurable disease that can be fatal, especially in people with weakened immune systems. It is spread by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus.

The period of development of the disease from the moment of the bite until the symptoms of the disease appear ranges between 5-21 days. The disease in humans takes 3-6 days and disappears on its own.

The disease caused by West Nile virus is similar to influenza, with fever, headache, weakness, joint and muscle pain, rash, and sometimes nausea and diarrhea. Rare complications may include acute encephalitis or meningitis, and the disease rarely ends in death.