Amman: Director of the Epidemiology Department at the Ministry of Health, Ayman Maqablah, confirmed that West Nile fever is not a public health concern and that humans are considered the last reservoir for the virus, which means that it is not transmitted from human to another and the infected person does not need to be isolated.

Maqablah told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that 80 percent of infections with this disease are reported to be symptomless, and 20 percent to have mild symptoms. “Only 1 percent of cases of this disease are critical, and neighboring countries have reported multiple deaths of elderly patients with prior medical records and immunocompromised individuals over 70.”

Maqablah added that West Nile fever is transmitted from birds to mosquitoes, and then mosquitoes transmit it to humans after being bitten, and its incubation period (i.e. the period during which symptoms appear) is from two days after the bite to 15 days, and the symptoms remain for 3-6 days.

He explained that there is no
treatment in the world for the disease, but treatment is carried out conservatively through painkillers and antipyretics, as the symptoms that the patient presents are pain in the muscles and joints, swollen lymph nodes, high fever, skin rash, and in some severe cases, signs of meningitis.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health announced the first case of West Nile fever, a 6-year-old girl who is currently under medical supervision in a hospital, and her general condition is stable and recovering.

The Ministry of Health has prepared a plan to deal with the disease, including its definition, the local epidemiological situation, its readiness to respond, and the role of national partner institutions by intensifying spraying and vector control (insects and mosquitoes).

For his part, President of Jordanian National Centre for Epidemics and Communicable Diseases (JCDC) Adel Bilbeisi said that the Ministry of Health and all stakeholders, such as the Ministries of Agriculture and Local Administration, continue to impl
ement measures that were approved in early July, represented by mosquito control in various places, especially water bodies, in addition to monitoring any case of high fever of unknown cause by the ministry, as it is tested for 15 types of viruses, including the West Nile fever virus, and through this monitoring the first case was detected today, stressing that tests are available in sufficient quantities at the ministry and there is no need to panic.

Source: Jordan News Agency