Pre-cum-Mains GS Foundation Program for UPSC 2026 | Starting from 5th Dec. 2024 Click Here for more information
- A boy from Malappuram district, Kerala has been diagnosed with West Nile fever. The West Nile fever is a zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are those that are naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans.
- West Nile fever is caused by the West Nile Virus. Birds are the natural hosts of West Nile virus (WNV).
- According to world Health Organization (WHO) West Nile virus transmits to humans through bites from infected Culex mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds.
- Horses and humans are “dead-end” hosts. It implies that while they become infected, they do not spread the infection. According to WHO, no human-to—human transmission from casual contact has not been documented.
- Symptoms of White Nile fever include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, nausea, vomiting. It can cause fatal neurological disease in humans.
- West Nile Virus was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. An epidemic of WNV was reported in humans in Israel in 1951.
- West Nile Virus is commonly found in Africa, Europe, Middle East, West Asia and North America.
