Ministry confirms case of West Nile virus in Cyprus

The first case of West Nile virus in Cyprus this year was confirmed by the health authorities on Tuesday.

But there is no cause for concern on the island, despite detection of the new case, head of medical services at the ministry of health Elisavet Constantinou said.

“We always intensify measures against mosquitos at this time of the year,” Constantinou told the Cyprus Mail.

“We haven’t had a West Nile virus case for several years, but anyway there is no reason to get alarmed,” she added.

“In Cyprus, sporadic cases of West Nile Virus occur periodically, primarily during the summer months,” the ministry said.

“Specifically, according to data released by the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit, only two cases, one per each year, were reported in 2016 and 2018, whereas a total of 24 cases were detected in 2019.”

No cases have been reported since.

The virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. The health ministry added that people who have contracted the virus rarely transmit it to other humans, not even hospitalised patients to healthcare staff.

“Should a person present such symptoms, the first thing to do would be to visit the GP,” Constantinou added although there is no specific medication for the West Nile virus.

Following the mosquito bite, symptoms typically appear within two to 14 days. In the majority of cases, infected individuals infected with the virus either remain asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms.

Only a very small percentage – less than one per cent – develop encephalitis, meningitis, or paralysis. People aged over 50 and those with compromised immune systems or underlying chronic conditions are at greater risk of severe illness.