Three new suspected West Nile patients hospitalized in Skopje
All three new patients are over 60 and from Skopje; authorities ordered overnight adulticidal spraying in Dracevo as a preventive measure.
Three additional patients with encephalitis who are suspected of having West Nile fever were admitted to the Clinic for Infectious Diseases during the past 24 hours, but final laboratory confirmation of the causative agent is still pending.
The newly admitted patients are all over 60 years old and come from Skopje. Medical staff report that the other ten patients already hospitalized remain in the same overall condition.
Of the hospitalized group, three patients are in critical condition and are being treated in the intensive care unit, while the remainder are on the department for neuroinfections.
Ministry orders extra mosquito control
Because of the current epidemiological situation and following a professional risk assessment, the Ministry of Health instructed the Center for Public Health–Skopje to carry out additional adulticidal disinsection targeting mosquitoes.
An extraordinary treatment was performed overnight in Dracevo as an extra preventive measure aimed at reducing the risk of further spread of the infection.
Health authorities say that half of those infected with West Nile fever come from Dracevo.
Photo: press material from the event
