During routine testing by environmental ministers who check pesticides used by farmers, west Nile mosquitoes have been detected in a number of areas of Israel during the past two weeks including S’dei Eliyahu, Sderot, the northern sewage deposit of Baka el-Garbiya and the Telmei Eliezer fish pond.

Health experts report the mosquitoes often appear during the very hot dry season and local health officials nationwide are instructed to step-up appropriate measures. The Health Ministry in the last month reports 18 cases of the west Nile virus.

The CDC website describes west Nile as “West Nile virus (WNV) is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. You can reduce your risk of being infected with WNV by using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites. There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent WNV infection. Fortunately, most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms. Less than 1% of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)