Extremadura Reports Four West Nile Virus Deaths, Surpassing 2024 Total
Extremadura is the only Spanishโฃ region too have recorded deathsโ from West Nile virus thisโ year, wiht a current total of four – one more than during all of 2024, when it ranked โคsecond-worst โขnationally behind Andalusia.โฃ The region has โขidentified 22 positive cases so far this year, including fourโ asymptomatic infections detected through blood donations.
Last year, extremadura reported 32 cases, but the reduction hasn’t been as notableโ as in Andalusia, which has seen cases drop to โคjust one infected person in โthe province of Almerรญa, compared to 87โข cases and โคten โdeaths in 2024.
Evaโข frontera, a โขresearcher atโ the โUniversity of Extremadura specializing in entomological surveillance, attributes โthe difference to strategic planningโฃ and investment. “In Andalusia they have made a very seriousโ plan and have invested a lot of money. Extremadura too but not with as much foresight. Here a strategic plan is needed more โฃin advance and to advocate for โa โmore thought-out program,” sheโฃ said. Frontera leads the Vector-Ex project, whichโข monitors mosquito species, behavior, โand evolution.
Authorities emphasize the โขimportance of โคself-protection measures, such as using โmosquito nets, โฃespecially โin rural areas. Both โคthe Badajoz and Cรกceres provincial Councils are conducting periodic fumigation โฃto preventโฃ the spread of the virus.
The area โof greatestโ concernโ is Vegas Altas,โ characterized by country houses, โrice fields, and โcornfields – an ideal surroundings โfor Culex perexiguus, the mosquito species responsible forโข most disease-transmittingโค bites.โข culex pipiens has also tested positive for the virus. The virus โis transmitted โคto humans through theโ bites of mosquitoesโข that โขhave previously โขfed โonโค infected birds.
The โขExtremaduran Health โขService (SES) has โalerted all eight health areas in the โregion โขtoโ be vigilant for symptoms consistent with West Nile โfever, โคnoting that 80% of human cases are asymptomatic.
