First case of West Nile virus recorded in Moldova

Chisinau, 22 August /MOLDPRES/ - The Health Ministry has informed that a case of infection with the West Nile virus (VWN) in a 49-year-old man, who returned from Italy, was recently registered in Moldova. The last VWN patient was recorded in Moldova in 2019.   

According to the quoted source, on 26-30 July this year, the man was in Italy, where he was bit by mosquitos more times. Presently, the patient gets medical care in hospital and his condition is satisfactory.   

According to the latest data by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), in 2024, eight countries of Europe, among which Italy, reported 69 cases of infection with VWN. Romania has recently recorded the first case of VWN this year. The victim is an 83-year-old man from Suceava.    

Specialists say that the West Nile virus is transmitted only by a prick of an infected mosquito, not also from man to man. The probability for someone to be infected with a single prick is low. As usual, the virus is manifested through symptoms similar to flu: weariness, muscular weakness, fever and intense headache, cutaneous eruptions on chest.    

Physicians come up with the following recommendations, on the purpose of protection against the infection with the West Nile virus: avoiding exposition to mosquitos; wearing of light-coloured clothes, with long sleeves, high trousers and socks, especially in the evening; use of substances which reject mosquitos; use of insecticides in dwelling; setting anti-mosquito nets at windows and doors.