The suspected case of infection by the West Nile virus of a patient in Faro has been confirmed by the General Directorate for Health.
The victim is a Portuguese citizen who will have contracted the virus from a mosquito bite.
In a statement today the health service confirmed that tests carried out by Dr. Ricardo Jorge of the National Health Institute had proved positive for the viral identification.
The health service confirmed that preventive measures taken at the time of admission are still in force and that the institutions involved will continue to monitor the situation.
The case dates back to July when a Portuguese man resident in the Algarve developed an illness that was suspected to have been caused by the West Nile virus.
This episode led to a health department general warning for local authorities to spray for mosquito larvae and for the public to reduce exposure to bites by using repellents and mosquito nets.
The fight against larvae of mosquitoes was also intensified in the Algarve, especially in dirty water tanks.
The West Nile virus is transmitted only by bite from mosquitos of the Culex genus and in 20% of infections causes mild fever, joint pain and vomiting which very occasionally develops into viral meningitis.
See: http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/6548-beware-west-nile-virus-in-the-algarve
