PESTILENCE WATCH:Test results show elderly Acre woman died of West Nile Virus

The Environmental Protection Ministry on Tuesday alerted local authorities across Israel to increase mosquito extermination practices after test results for an 82-year-old woman who died Sunday showed the mosquito-born West Nile Virus had caused her death. Mosquitoes carrying the virus were found at three separate sites across Israel, most recently two weeks ago near Carmiel in the north.The woman, from Acre, was admitted last week to Nahariya's Western Galilee Hospital with a high fever as well as chronic heart and respiratory problems and died Sunday. Test results revealed Tuesday that West Nile Virus was the cause of her death, prompting the Environmental Protection Ministry to issue an Israel-wide warning. Health Ministry representative in Acre, Dr Shihab Shihab said previous testing for virus-carrying mosquitoes had yielded negative results, and further tests were carried out.When results showing the elderly woman at WGH had died of the virus, the municipality was ordered to exterminate mosquitoes by spraying and empty stagnant pools where larvae could be laid. Epidemiologist at WGH Emile Aga said West Nile Virus, whose symptoms include high fever and headaches, can lead to cerebral inflammation known as encephalitis.Symptoms begin to show 15 days after the victim is bitten by an infected mosquito.In most cases the immune system defeats the virus, however there is no treatment for the disease if it does not.Elderly people suffering from chronic heart and respiratory disorders are most at risk of serious illness or death caused by West Nile Virus.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/898424.html

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