West Nile Virus found in northern West Bank, near Dead Sea
The mosquitoes were found in the Beit Aryeh and Peduel settlements in the West Bank and in Beit HaArava and Kalya near the northern Dead Sea.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito is seen on the skin of a human host in this 2014 picture from the Center for Disease Control. C. quinquefasciatus is known as one of the many arthropodal vectors responsible for spreading the arboviral encephalitis, West Nile virus (WNV) to human beings through thei(photo credit: REUTERS)
Mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus have been found in Samaria and near the northern Dead Sea, the Environmental Protection Ministry reported Sunday.“Following the rains that fell all over the country, stagnant water has accumulated in many places,” Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said. “There is still a fear of mosquitoes developing in stagnant water, so it is important to continue monitoring and exterminating, if necessary, to prevent [harm from the] mosquitoes.”The mosquitoes were found in the Beit Aryeh and Peduel settlements in Samaria and in Beit Ha’arava and Kibbutz Kalya near the northern Dead Sea.The Samaria and Megilot regional councils were alerted by the ministry and have been instructed to increase monitoring and carry out pest control if needed.Mosquitoes that carry the virus have been found throughout Israel in recent months.West Nile virus is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites, with symptoms taking between seven to 14 days to develop.Symptoms include fever, headache, weakness, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, rash and sometimes nausea and diarrhea.The ministry called on those who feel ill and live in areas where infected mosquitoes were found to be especially alert amid the coronavirus crisis.
