PRAGUE, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic on Thursday confirmed the first domestic contraction case of West Nile fever.
The case was firstly reported by local Nova television on Thursday, and later confirmed by Czech Deputy Health Minister Roman Prymula on the same day.
The case involved a 72-year-old woman who died after she was contracted the virus in the Czech Republic. The woman also suffered from other serious chronic problems.
Epidemiologists have already discovered the virus in mosquitoes and horses in south Moravia in June. The first case occurred in early September, when a Czech man returned from Greece in August was taken to the infection clinic of Central Military Hospital (UVN) in Prague after suffering health troubles.
The Health Ministry spokeswoman Gabriela Stepanyova said that this is a logical development of the situation due to the climate conditions and the distribution of the incidence of the West Nile fever. She said no case has been recorded in which the West Nile virus was transferred from one man to another. The relevant measures have been taken and the relevant authorities, such as the State Veterinary Administration, have been contacted.
West Nile fever is a viral infection typically spread by mosquitoes. The incubation period ranges from three to 14 days. The infection can lead to serious complications including meningitis and encephalitis. Serious infection could endanger patients' life.
