West Nile virus alert list eased to 21 Andalusian towns but a fourth death confirmed

An 84-year-old from La Puebla del Río has died, as health officials step up monitoring across the region

Andalucía's West Nile virus alert list now stands at 21 municipalities, down slightly after Gibraleón and San Bartolomé de la Torre in Huelva, along with Pizarra in Málaga, were removed. La Puebla del Río in Seville has been added instead and will remain on alert until at least 31 October.

That list marks a shift from where things stood in late August, when 27 municipalities were under alert and the season's case count had just reached 49.

Sadly, the virus has claimed another life. On Friday, health officials confirmed the death of an 84-year-old man from La Puebla del Río, the fourth person to die from the disease in Andalucía this summer. He had been admitted to Virgen del Rocío University Hospital after developing neuroinvasive West Nile fever.

The first death back in early August, an 82-year-old from Dos Hermanas, marked the start of what's since become a difficult season, with cases concentrated heavily around Seville province from the outset. The second death came on 27 August, an 89-year-old from Guadalema de los Quintero in Utrera, and the third followed on 14 September, an 81-year-old from Tomares who had been exposed to the virus in Mazagón, in Huelva province.

In total, 71 cases have now been diagnosed across the region this season. Of these, 40 were mild and 31 severe, including the four fatalities. 35 patients needed hospital treatment, and three remain in hospital, with the rest recovering well.

The worst affected areas remain firmly in Seville province, where confirmed cases include:

• Villamanrique de la Condesa: 11 cases
• Dos Hermanas: 9 cases
• Coria del Río: 8 cases
• La Puebla del Río: 6 cases
• Almensilla and Aznalcázar: 5 cases each
• Palomares del Río: 3 cases
• Seville city and Utrera: 2 cases each
• Several other towns including Bollullos de la Mitación, Huévar del Aljarafe, Olivares, Pilas, San Juan de Aznalfarache and Peñaflor: 1 case each

Huelva province has also recorded cases, including in Hinojos, Niebla, San Bartolomé, Mazagón, Almonte and Cortegana, alongside single cases in El Puerto de Santa María in Cádiz and Pizarra in Málaga.

In any municipality on the alert list, mosquito, animal and human surveillance is stepped up, and health authorities work with pharmacies and nursing teams to make sure the public knows what precautions to take. Local councils are also required to intensify mosquito control and treatment measures for as long as the alert remains in place.

Behind the scenes, testing has been extensive. A total of 779 people have been tested to rule out West Nile infection, alongside 192 cases of viral meningitis screened for arboviruses. Between 1 June and 27 September, 11,512 blood donor tests were also carried out as part of the ongoing screening programme.

Image: Herman49/Pixabay