West Nile Virus: Fears of EODYs that cases will “break” the 2018 record – Spread to 23 municipalities and 60 districts

Concern grows over him as daily the areas in Greece where cases are detected by being on the lookout. Typical is the fact that within just three days the regions identified cases of the West Nile virus increased from 20 to 23 and the municipalities from 53 to 60 with the EOPY closely monitoring the matter. According to scientists, the number of confirmed incidents that have so far exceeded 100 and deaths that have reached 12 are expected to increase further over the next period. This year’s outbreak, as they say, is due to the prolonged period of high temperatures, which has contributed to the increase in mosquito populations. This may also contribute to the extension of the virus surveillance period, possibly by the end of October. Meanwhile, only in the last week, from the West Nile virus: 24 people have been ill, 21 are still being treated in hospitals, 8 in Intensive Care Units (ICU), 59 out of 100 patients were discharged As of so far 100 cases of 2024, 76 experienced encephalitis, meningitis, or acute loose paralysis. High-ranking sources of EODY reported at iatropedia.gr, that it is not excluded until the end of the surveillance period of infection from the West Nile virus to touch, or even overcome the 2018 outbreak. Please note that in Greece a total of 316 domestic cases were diagnosed, of which 243 had serious complications from the Central Nervous System (CNS, encephalitis and/or meningitis and/or acute loose paralysis). Within 5 months within 2018 there were also 50 patient deaths during their hospitalisation. Most were over 63 years old. See the EOB diagram with the course of serious reported cases of the IMO virus from the 201st to today: Serious problems in blood proficiency Please note that the increase in cases of West Nile Virus causes serious problems in the country’s blood donation, as affected areas are excluded from volunteer blood to limit the risk of transmission of the disease through transfusions. According to the EOPI, as ‘affected’ areas: the municipalities are designated with a recent record of at least one case of West Nile virus infection (IMF) in humans during the current period 2024, and as ‘high risk’ areas: the municipalities are designated where no case has been recorded in humans during the current transmission period 2024 (so far), but risk factors are combined for imminent transmission of the West Nile virus to humans. What are the affected and high risk areas? The specific scientific groups of the EOIM taking into account and assessing all available epidemiological, entomological and geomorphological data, have reached the list below with the municipalities and regional units affected or which are of high risk (they are listed together for convenience reasons and the “high risk” municipalities are marked with an asterisk): 1. From the Regional Unit of Larissa: • the Municipality of Larissa • the Municipality of Kiler • the Municipality of Agia • the Municipality of Elassona • the Municipality of Tembon • the Municipality of Tyrnavo • the Municipality of Farsala 2. From the Regional Unit of Karditsa: • the Municipality of Karditsa • the Municipality of Palamas • the Municipality of Sofadas • the Municipality of Lake Plastera* • the Municipality of Mouzaki* 3. From the Regional Unit Trikala: • the Municipality of Farkadona* 4. From the Regional Unit of Lefkada: • the Municipality of Lefkada 5. From the Metropolitan Unit of Thessaloniki: • the Municipality of Lagada • the Municipality of Volvis • the Municipality of Paul Melas • the Municipality of Thermaikos • the Municipality of Neapolis – Sykeon • the Municipality of Oraiokastro* • the Municipality of Chalkidon* • the Municipality of Pylaia – Hortiati* 6. From the Regional Unit of Halkidiki: • the Municipality of Aristotle • the Municipality of Kassandra • the Municipality of Sithonia • the Municipality of Polygyros 7. From the Regional Unity of Serres: • the Municipality of Serres • the Municipality of Emanuele Pappa • the Municipality of Sintika • the Municipality of Amphipolis • the Municipality of Vissaltia* • the Municipality of Iraklia 8. From the Regional Unit of Pella: • the Municipality of Skydra • the Municipality of Pella* 9. From the Regional Unit Achaia: • the Municipality of Western Achaia • the Municipality of Aegialea • the Municipality of Patras 10. From the Regional Unit of Thesprotia: • the Municipality of Igoumenitsa 11. From the Regional Unit of Imathia: • the Municipality of Alexandria • the Municipality of Veria 12. From the Regional Unit of Kilkis: • the Municipality of Paionia 13. From the Regional Unit of Rodopi: • the Municipality of Arrians • the Municipality of Maronia – Sapon 14. From the Regional Unit of Argolida: • the Municipality of Argos-Mycenae • the Municipality of Nafplions* 15. From the Regional Unit of South Athens: • the Municipality of Kallithea 16. From the Regional Unit of Pieria: • the Municipality of Pydnas-Colindros* 17. From the Regional Unit of Evros: • the Municipality of Orestiadas • the Municipality of Alexandroupolis • the Municipality of Didymotichos 18. From the Regional Drama Unit: • the Municipality of Drama 19. From the Regional Unit of Xanthi: • the Municipality of Topiros • the Municipality of Avdira* • the Municipality of Xanthi* 20. From the Regional Unit of Fthiotida: • the Municipality of Lokres 21. From the Regional Unit of Kavala: • the Municipality of Kavala* • the Municipality of Nestos* 22. From the Regional Unit of Thassos: • the Municipality of Thassos 23. From the Regional Unit of Boeotias: • the Municipality of Orchomenos Haemovigation Guidelines, provide instructions to the donors, if they develop a fever or any other clinical symptoms of infection by the DN virus, within 15 days of the donation, to inform the service to which they donated regardless of the area. In the event of a blood donor being informed of symptoms after blood donation, the blood donation commits the unit and its derivatives and checks the donor from the National Centre for the Reference of Arboviruses and Hemorrhagic Fevers, 1st Laboratory of Microbiology, Medical School, AUTH (Cath. Information to SKAEM on the results of blood donors’ control and the recording of analytical data in the Haematitis Report on the infection by the West Nile virus (SCAEM), according to instructions given by SKAEM (Tel. 210 5212017, 210 5212880). * These are municipalities without a recent record of cases during the current period 2024, so far, described as “high risk”, taking into account current and historical epidemiological data, insect data and geomorphological data.