“We are still gathering detailed information, but everything indicates that this is the first confirmed local case of West Nile fever,” said Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski, Poland’s Chief Sanitary Inspector, in an interview with Polish Radio.
A local infection means that the virus was contracted outside tropical countries where it typically occurs.
West Nile virus does not spread between people and cannot be transmitted through coughing, sneezing, or touch. Mosquitoes are the main carriers, though transmission can also occur via blackflies and, less commonly, ticks. Birds are the primary reservoir of the virus.
About 80% of people infected with West Nile virus show no symptoms. Only around 20% develop symptoms, and severe illness occurs in approximately 1 in 150 cases.
Dr. Grzesiowski told TVN24 that the patient, who is highly suspected of having West Nile virus, was admitted to the hospital with symptoms resembling a stroke (sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, confusion or difficulty speaking, trouble seeing, loss of balance, dizziness, and a severe headache with no known cause).
The West Nile virus can lead to a neuroinfection that impacts the central nervous system, with a fatality rate of around 10% in severe cases.
In August, the virus was found in dead crows in Warsaw, following a significant die-off of various bird species, including jackdaws and magpies.
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Source: IAR/PAP/TVN24/GIS
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