Kozhikode: A 24-year-year-old woman has been diagnosed with West Nile fever here. The deadly disease, which can cause serious neurological diseases in humans, was confirmed after samples sent from here tested positive at the National Institute of Virology, Pune.
Another woman, suspected to be infected with the same virus, is under observation at the Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.
The West Nile virus, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), barely exhibits any signs or symptoms when it infects humans.
Vaccines are not yet available for use in humans to tackle the mosquito-borne virus. The natural hosts of the virus are birds.
Reports of West Nile infection comes after the deadly spread of the Nipah virus in the district. Seventeen people died due to the Nipah virus in Kerala, out of which 16 cases were confirmed in lab.
The Kerala government had received laurels from various parts of the world for containing the disease in a timely manner.
To be updated...
