The Junta de Andalucía has reported the second case of West Nile fever in humans this season, both in the province of Seville. The affected individual is a man residing in Villamanrique de la Condesa, who is already at home with mild symptoms.
The Health Department of the Junta de Andalucía confirmed this Wednesday the second case of West Nile fever (WNF) in humans in the autonomous community during the current season. Like the first case, detected a few days ago in Palomares del Río, the new infection has been located in the province of Seville.
According to the department's information, the patient is a man residing in Villamanrique de la Condesa, a municipality in the Aljarafe region of Seville. The patient began to show symptoms on July 13, although it was not until Tuesday, July 21, that the diagnosis was confirmed through a PCR test conducted at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville. His condition is mild and he remains at home, without the need for hospital admission.
Following the confirmation, the Health Department has declared Villamanrique de la Condesa as an area on alert for the circulation of the West Nile virus (WNV). This declaration will be valid for a minimum of four weeks, that is, until August 18, or until no new cases or circulation of the virus in mosquitoes, birds, or equines are detected in the area.
The declaration of alert implies the intensification of three types of surveillance: entomological (mosquitoes), animal, and human. Additionally, community promotion actions will be activated, and communication to the public will be reinforced through pharmacies and nursing, so that residents adopt the necessary protective measures against the virus.
The Villamanrique de la Condesa City Council, for its part, must intensify measures for controlling and treating transmitting mosquitoes during the alert period. Specifically, it must reinforce the actions outlined in its Municipal Vector Surveillance and Control Plan, not only in the urban area but also within a radius of up to 1.5 kilometers around the core, where larval breeding sites or adult mosquito refuges are identified.
With this new case, eleven Andalusian municipalities have now been declared as areas on alert for the West Nile virus. In the province of Seville, the list includes Almensilla, Aznalcázar, Coria del Río, Constantina, Gelves, La Puebla del Río, Mairena del Aljarafe, Palomares del Río, and Villamanrique de la Condesa. They are joined by Pulpí (Almería) and Torredonjimeno (Jaén). Additionally, viral circulation has been detected in Benacazón (Seville), although since the capture point was located more than 1.5 kilometers from the urban core, the declaration of alert was not necessary in that municipality.
To date, Andalusian health services have conducted laboratory studies on 222 users and screening for arboviral infections in 91 patients with viral meningitis. A total of 688 determinations for the West Nile virus have also been carried out in blood donor screening, all with negative results. In the animal realm, no circulation of WNV has been detected in equines or wild birds, with 208 birds analyzed.
Regarding the presence of the transmitting mosquito, an abundant density of female mosquitoes has been detected in Palomares del Río, Los Palacios, and Villafranca (peri-urban traps) and La Puebla del Río (peri-urban trap) in the last week. High densities have also been recorded in Coria del Río and La Puebla del Río (urban trap).
Health authorities remind the population of the importance of adopting preventive measures, such as using repellents, mosquito nets, and avoiding the accumulation of stagnant water, especially during peak mosquito activity hours, at dawn and dusk. The Junta will continue to provide timely information on the evolution of the situation.
