Ministry of Environmental Protection: After Moshav Idan in the Aravah – mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus were also discovered in the settlement of Beit Aryeh in Shomron. The Ministry instructed the local council to expand the monitoring and supervision of its territory and, if necessary, pest control – The ministry calls on local authorities throughout the country to increase efforts to eliminate mosquito hazards

In routine tests carried out by the Department of Pests & Pesticides in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus were detected in Beit Aryeh in Shomron.

Immediately after receipt of the laboratory results from the Ministry of Health, the Central District of the Ministry of Environmental Protection updated the findings of the Beit Aryeh Local Council and demanded that the Authority expand the scope of mosquito control in its territory.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection notes that although the summer officially begins in about three weeks, this is the second time infected mosquitoes have been detected, in two different and remote parts of the country. This fact points to a possible presence of the virus in other areas, and the Ministry therefore emphasizes that all local authorities throughout the country must increase their efforts to reduce mosquito hazards by expanding surveillance and pest control if necessary.

Alon Zasak, Senior Deputy Director-General for Natural Resources at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, emphasizes that as the summer comes and water bodies remain in the open spaces, ideal mosquito breeding conditions are created. “The authorities have to monitor the habitats and in case mosquitoes are incubated, they should be sprayed and prevented from spreading,” he said.

Morbidity in Western Nile fever is caused by a virus found mainly in birds and transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. In cases where a disease develops it is mild and is manifested in fever, headaches and muscles aches. In some patients, the disease may become complicated and cause brain inflammation and even death. Since there is no vaccine for humans, preventing mosquitoes is the main way to break the cycle of transmitting the disease to humans.

In Israel, an inter-ministerial system is in place to detect the West Nile virus by monitoring the virus from mosquitoes. Mosquito detection is carried out by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, mosquito detection and virus testing are carried out in the laboratories of the Ministry of Health.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)