On Thursday, the Haute-Corse Regional Health Agency announced that “a case of West Nile virus has been identified in Haute-Corse.” statement. This virus, also called “West Nile virus”, has spread to several French departments this summer, particularly in the Gironde and in the Maritime Alps, and about fifteen cases have been detected.
The coronavirus service notes that the infected man in Hot Course had “suggestive symptoms” and “was cared for at Bastia hospital centre”. “The West Nile case diagnosis was confirmed by the National Reference Center on August 29, 2023. The patient has returned home and his condition is not cause for concern.”
This virus causes infection in about 20% of cases, with “a flu-like syndrome (fever, pain, headache), sometimes accompanied by a rash,” explains the association. “In less than 1% of cases, it can cause neurological complications, especially in people with weakened immune systems.”
“In general, the patient recovers spontaneously, sometimes with sequelae. But viral infections can be fatal mainly in the elderly. The Pasteur Institute confirms.
“This virus is not transmitted from human to human, nor from human to mosquito.”
West Nile virus is transmitted from birds to mosquitoes of the genus Culex, which can infect humans, but also horses, by biting them. Note that this virus is not transmitted from human to human, or from human to mosquito. Remember the province of Hot Course.
To escape infection, exposure to bites must be avoided by wearing protective clothing (especially in the evening), using repellents and mosquito nets. If symptoms appear, it is important to consult a doctor.
This virus circulates regularly in France. “The first cases in humans and horses were diagnosed in the early 1960s”, explains the Pasteur Institute, and “the virus appeared again in horses in the Camargue in 2000”. Since then, cases have been recorded almost every year, with a sudden increase in certain years.
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