GOVT TAKES MEASURES IN FIGHT AGAINST WNV
TEN people in the TRNC have now been infected with the bird and mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (WNV), which claimed one life last week.
Health Minister Ali Pilli stressed that urgent measures were being taken to combat the country’s first outbreak of WNV, including draining swamps and spraying mosquito breeding sites.
WNV was first diagnosed in three people last week after blood samples were sent to Turkey for analysis. Eight more were tested and seven came back positive, leaving five being treated at Lefkoşa Hospital — three of them in intensive care — and two at Near East University Hospital.
One of last week’s three original victims remains in hospital and a second has been discharged.
Hilmi Bolel, 62, a fatherof-two and grandfather from Ötüken, was buried in the village cemetery last Saturday, a day after succumbing to the virus.
Speaking following diagnosis of the latest cases, Dr Pilli said a government “coordination meeting”, chaired by Prime Minister Ersin Tatar, had taken place to discuss measures for coping with the disease. In addition to himself, he said others attending the meeting had included Interior Minister Ayşegül Baybars, Health Ministry undersecretary Mustafa Akçaba, Lefkoşa State Hospital chief doctor Ali Özyılkan and a group of medical specialists.
“There is no need for concern as the government is fulfilling its responsibilities in dealing with the situation,” he said, highlighting that WNV could not be spread by human contact but was passed on through mosquitoes which acquired it from migrating birds. Although it was the first time that WNV had been detected in the TRNC, it had been widespread in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia for some 50 years, he said, with one case also being diagnosed in South Cyprus this year.
“West Nile Virus rarely causes neurological symptoms or fatalities,” said Dr Pilli, who added that it was seasonal in the summer and early autumn and occurred in areas on the path of migrating birds, especially where there was swampland or stagnant water to provide a habitat for mosquitoes.
Meetings had therefore being held with selected municipalities to ensure that they took action against WNV at a local level, particularly in Lefkoşa, İskele, Gazimağusa, Değirmenlik, Dikmen, Akdoğan, Serdarlı, Vadili, İnönü, Paşakoy and Beyarmudu.
“Inspections and spray
ing against mosquitoes in those and other areas are continuing,” added Dr Pilli.
Meanwhile, it emerged that of the 10 WNV cases, two were patients at Near East University Hospital.
Infectious illnesses specialist Professor Kaya Suer said most of those dying
from the disease around the world had “underlying health problems” and that 80 per cent of those infected showed no symptoms.
“When symptoms do occur, they are in the form of muscle and joint pains, an upper respiratory infection, headaches or fever
which last between three and 14 days,” said Dr Suer.
“I again call on municipalities to increase their insecticide spraying, especially after the heavy winter rainfall which led to accumulations of surface water that provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.”