Three people die in Kyiv from complications of West Nile fever - KCSA

Three people die in Kyiv from complications of West Nile fever - KCSA

Kyiv  •  UNN

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Since June 1, the capital's hospital has treated 17 patients with West Nile fever. Three died due to complications, such as meningoencephalitis, said the director of the KCSA Health Department.

Since June 1, 17 patients have been hospitalized in the capital's hospital with West Nile fever, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Three patients could not be saved due to complications. This was reported by Valentina Ginzburg, Director of the KCSA Health Department, according to UNN with reference to the KCSA press service. 

Reportedly, since June 1, 2024, 17 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of West Nile fever have been treated at St. Michael's Clinical Hospital in Kyiv.  There were 10 men and 7 women among the patients. They are residents of different districts of the capital, two of them are residents of Kyiv and Cherkasy regions. 

According to the director of the KCSA Health Department, people needed hospitalization due to the severity of the condition. 

Three patients could not be saved due to a severe complication of fever - meningoencephalitis.

According to infectious disease experts, in Ukraine, West Nile virus is classified as a particularly dangerous virus in Group I and, according to WHO international standards, belongs to Group IV risk. The virus is similar in structure to other encephalitis-causing viruses and the Dengue virus.

The main source and reservoir of West Nile virus in nature are birds (mostly migratory), in whose blood high concentrations of the virus circulate for 14 to 200 days. The carriers of the disease are certain types of mosquitoes that become infected while feeding on blood and then can infect an animal or a person with bites. It is extremely rare for people to become infected by contact with the blood of sick animals.

The disease begins acutely with chills and a rapid rise in body temperature, accompanied by symptoms of intoxication. The febrile period lasts from 2 to 6 days. In general, the clinical course of the disease is favorable. In severe forms, meningitis or encephalitis can develop.

There is currently no specific therapy. Treatment is symptomatic. Therefore, the advice is usual: as with any disease, at the first sign of it, consult a doctor and be treated under the supervision of a specialist, informing him or her of all changes in your condition. And to minimize the risks of West Nile fever, install mosquito nets at home, use repellents, and wear clothes that cover your body as much as possible when going for a walk (especially to parks and forest recreation areas). As the air temperature drops and mosquitoes disappear, the risk of fever decreases to almost zero

- Ginzburg said.

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