ATHENS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Twenty people over the age of 60 have been the victims of the West Nile virus in Greece so far this year, according to the weekly epidemiological surveillance report of the National Public Health Organization (EODY) published on Thursday.
In total, from the beginning of 2019 until Sept. 12, 176 cases of West Nile virus infection have been diagnosed and investigated across many regions of the country.
In 109 of the patients reported the Central Nervous System was affected (encephalitis and/or meningitis) whereas 67 of them developed mild symptoms, such as fever.
Most people face mild symptoms, but some, especially those belonging in high-risk groups like the elderly, end up hospitalized with more serious conditions.
"The diagnosis of further outbreaks in the coming period and the occurrence of outbreaks in other geographical areas are also likely and expected," said EODY.
The organization also noted that as the epidemiology of the virus is determined by many factors, its circulation sites and potential outbreak sites in each transmission period cannot be reliably predicted.
Therefore, EODY recommended that individual protection measures be observed in all the territory, throughout the period of mosquitoes' circulation.
West Nile virus is transmitted mainly through the bite of infected mosquitoes, according to experts.
The implementation of appropriate mosquito control programs and individual mosquito protection measures are the most appropriate measures to control the disease.
