Ukraine reports 88 West Nile virus cases with 11 deaths since July 2024

Ukraine is facing a growing threat from West Nile virus, with health officials reporting 88 cases and 11 deaths since the beginning of July 2024, according to Ihor Kuzin, Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine.

Health officials are particularly concerned about the lack of specific treatment or vaccine for West Nile virus. Symptoms of West Nile fever typically appear 2-3 days after a mosquito bite and may include fever, headache, and other flu-like symptoms. Health officials urge anyone experiencing these symptoms, especially after a known mosquito bite, to seek medical attention immediately.

The virus, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, has been detected in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, with single cases reported in Poltava and Cherkasy oblasts. On 8 October 2024, a state of emergency was declared in a community in Cherkasy Oblast due to the West Nile fever outbreak, where one person died.

In an interview with BBC‘s Ukrainian Service on 13 October, Kuzin warned that the virus is endemic to Ukraine and is likely to spread further.

“West Nile fever was, is, and will be. We probably need to get used to the fact that this fever will be in even greater numbers in Ukraine,” he stated.

Climate change is playing a significant role in the virus’s spread. Kuzin explained,

“We have a certain shift in temperatures across the regions of the country. If earlier we talked about West Nile fever spreading in Kherson, Odesa Oblasts and Crimea, now a large part of central Ukraine is becoming favorable for this.”

The virus is primarily transmitted through birds, which serve as natural reservoirs, and then to humans and animals via mosquito bites. Ukraine lies on several migratory bird routes, increasing the risk of virus transmission.

The disease is associated with relatively high mortality rates. Kuzin emphasized,

“The main countermeasure is, in essence, limiting walking outside when there are mosquitoes without repellents.”

Preventive measures recommended by health authorities include using repellents, wearing protective clothing, installing window screens, and avoiding standing water where mosquitoes breed. Kuzin stressed that the disease does not transmit from person to person.

The West Nile virus threat in Ukraine is part of a broader global concern. In late August, prominent US immunologist Anthony Fauci was hospitalized with West Nile virus, describing it as a “harrowing experience” in a New York Times essay, according to Newsweek.

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