Origins in Uganda
West Nile virus was discovered in 1937 in a woman in Uganda’s West Nile province. Over the years, the virus moved further north, as evidenced by outbreaks in Egypt and Haifa in the 1950s. In 1996, the first major epidemic in Europe occurred in Romania, and the virus has since spread to Italy and Eastern Europe. ended up. It has also been found in the US since 1999.
According to experts, it was therefore a matter of time before the Netherlands was also reached, also because climate change improved the conditions in our country for spreading: in warmer areas the virus can multiply better.
From bird via mosquito to human
Last month was already there a bird with the disease discovered in Utrecht. RIVM virologist Reusken suspects that the virus came with birds from Germany. “The virus circulates between birds and they cause it to spread over long distances.”
The virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds. It cannot be passed from person to person, except in exceptional cases, such as a transplant.
Reusken does not expect to see any new cases in the coming months, as the mosquito season is over. “We are going to look at how we can prepare for next year. It remains to be seen whether the virus hibernates in the Netherlands and what measures we should take.”
Fight mosquitoes
Since there is no vaccine or medicine for the virus, preventing infection is the best option. This can be done by protecting yourself against mosquitoes with covering clothing and a mosquito net. Especially at dusk, when the insects are most active. Insect screens and air conditioning also make it difficult for mosquitoes.
It also helps prevent mosquitoes from reproducing in pools of standing water. This can be done by regularly emptying places where water remains, such as buckets, toys lying around, rubbish bins or flower pots.
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