2023-09-01 19:23:00
“A case of West-Nile virus infection has been identified in Haute-Corse”, announced the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Haute-Corse on Thursday, in a statement. This virus, also called “West Nile virus”, circulated in several French departments this summer, in particular in Gironde and in the Alpes-Maritimes, with around fifteen cases identified.
The man infected in Haute-Corse presented “suggestive symptoms” and “was taken care of at the Bastia hospital center”, indicates the ARS. “West-Nile’s diagnosis was confirmed by the National Reference Center on August 29, 2023. The patient has returned home and his condition is not of concern. »
This virus triggers an infection in around 20% of cases, with “a flu-like syndrome (fever, pain, headache), sometimes accompanied by a rash”, explains the ARS. “In less than 1% of cases, it can cause neurological complications, especially in immunocompromised subjects. »
“Generally, the patient recovers spontaneously, sometimes with sequelae. But the viral infection can prove fatal mainly in senior adults,” emphasizes the Institut Pasteur.
“This virus is not transmitted from man to man, nor from man to mosquito”
The West-Nile is transmitted from birds to mosquitoes of the Culex genus, which can then contaminate humans, but also horses, by biting them. “Note that this virus is not transmitted from man to man, or from man to mosquito”, recalls the prefecture of Haute-Corse.
To escape infection, you must avoid being bitten by wearing covering clothes, “especially in the evening”, using repellents and mosquito nets. If symptoms appear, it is important to consult a doctor.
This virus circulates regularly in France. “The first human and equine cases were diagnosed in the early 1960s”, explains the Pasteur Institute, and “the virus reappeared in horses in the Camargue in 2000”. Since then, cases have been recorded almost every year, with upsurges in certain years.
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