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Published Date: 2012-07-14 23:35:06
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> West Nile virus - Eurasia: Greece
Archive Number: 20120714.1202042

WEST NILE VIRUS - EURASIA: GREECE
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Date: Fri 13 Jul 2012
Source: Ekathimerini [edited]
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_13/07/2012_451929

According the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO), 5 people in Greece have contracted the West Nile virus [WNV], which is carried by mosquitoes.

The 1st case reported this year in Greece was on Sunday [8 Jul 2012], when a pensioner in Palaio Faliro, southern Athens, was taken ill. Another resident of a nearby district was confirmed as having the disease the next day.

However, KEELPNO says 3 more cases had been confirmed by Thursday evening [12 Jul 2012]. They were in Elliniko, Palaio Faliro and Piraeus, all neighbourhoods of southern Athens.

KEELPNO said that it expects more cases in this part of the capital, which has never been considered a high risk area for West Nile virus, to appear over the next few days.

The West Nile virus, which can cause encephalitis, was discovered in 1937 in Uganda. Sporadic cases of the disease in humans have occurred in Europe since the 1960s. It was first detected in Greece in 2010, when 262 people contracted the disease, 35 of whom died.

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[There was active transmission and human cases of WNV infection in Greece in 2011. In a 12 Sep 2011 ProMED-mail post (archive no. 0110912.2775) Dr. Anna Papa reported WNV lineage 2 sequences were obtained from patients' sera taken during the acute phase of the illness. Sequences of the NS3 gene were identical to those obtained in 2010 from _Culex_ mosquitoes and blood donors, thus, similar to the Hungarian WNV strain. With the WNV transmission season starting this year (2012) more cases can be expected. It will be interesting to learn if lineage 2 is present again.

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map showing the location of Athens and vicinity can be accessed at
http://healthmap.org/r/2K53. - Mod.TY]

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