Egypt's Health Ministry tightens health measures to combat West Nile Fever after spread in Israel

CAIRO - 23 July 2024: The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population raised the level of preparedness at air, sea and land entry points to activate and tighten health control procedures for passengers, means of transportation, and goods coming from Israel during the current time to combat West Nile fever after its spread in Israel.

 

The Ministry's Quarantine Department called for taking a set of preventive health measures at the ports of entry, most notably preventive measures towards passengers by conducting health screening for all those arriving on essential or special flights coming from Israel, directly or indirectly.

 

According to the Ministry of Health's guide to deal with West Nile fever, the West Nile virus is responsible for what is known as West Nile fever, which reaches humans through the bites of mosquitoes carrying the virus, and is generally spread in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Western Asia.

 

It can cause West Nile virus causing a neurological disease in humans, but about 80% of those infected do not show any symptoms. Birds are the main carrier of West Nile virus, from which it is transmitted to mosquitoes, where it takes several days to reach the mosquito’s salivary glands, which in turn transmit it to humans when it bites them.

 

According to CDC, West Nile virus is most commonly spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash.  

 

The guide confirmed that there are vaccines available for use in horses, but there are no vaccines available to humans. The virus gained its name from West Nile when it was first discovered in the western region of the Nile, specifically in Uganda in 1937.

 

The symptoms of West Nile virus are: fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and swollen lymph nodes, in addition to sometimes a skin rash.

 

The incubation period for the disease is usually 3 to 14 days, while the infection is not transmitted directly from one person to another, but mosquitoes are likely to transmit the virus throughout their lives.

 

The Ministry of Health guide confirmed that there is no specific treatment against the disease, and the basic approach in treating human cases of infection is to provide supportive care to patients and treat the symptoms.