Residents in Seville have organised a protest to demand stronger action against the West Nile virus, which has claimed five lives in the southern Spanish province this summer.
The virus spreads to humans when mosquitoes bite infected birds and then subsequently bite people.
The Lower Guadalquivir Valley area near Seville has been the epicenter of all 61 registered cases, including the deaths. This year’s outbreak is exceptionally severe, ranking as the second-highest incidence after 2020, which reported 76 cases and eight fatalities, the BBC report said.
A protest is set to take place in Isla Mayor, Seville, on Monday evening to demand greater action against the Nile Virus.
The Fight against the Nile Virus platform is leading the event, urging authorities to intensify their efforts to contain the virus.
In response, the Andalusian regional government has appealed for calm and vowed to strengthen cooperation between provinces and municipalities to combat the outbreak.
The relatives of Granada Romero Ruiz, an 86-year-old woman who succumbed to the Nile Virus this summer, have voiced their outrage and frustration to local officials.
They hold the authorities accountable for not fumigating nearby rice fields, which they believe played a role in the virus’s transmission.
In a scathing letter, the family criticized the officials for their inaction, stating that this tragic loss of life could have been prevented if they had shown the necessary responsibility and compassion from their positions of power.
Modesto González, the mayor of Coría del Río—where three of the summer’s fatalities occurred—has urged the central government to work with local authorities to implement more drastic measures.
He warned that Andalusian families now experience “enormous worry during the summer months,” stressing that this issue “goes way beyond the local area and no more time can be wasted because the lives of people are at risk.”
The Guadalquivir Valley’s vast marshes and rice fields provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which transmit the West Nile virus from birds to humans and other mammals.
Jordi Figuerola, a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Doñana Biological Station, attributes the surge in virus circulation this year to a mild winter and wet spring.
Figuerola warns that the virus’s spread is likely to continue, emphasizing the need for improved collaboration between governments and farmers to ensure efficient fumigation of rice fields and mitigate the outbreak.
The western Spanish region of Extremadura has reported 17 cases of West Nile virus, with the majority experiencing mild or no symptoms.
However, approximately 20% of cases may develop more severe symptoms, including headaches, high fever, and skin eruptions.
In rare instances, the virus can be fatal, especially among the elderly, affecting less than 5% of cases. To combat the outbreak, experts suggest a three-pronged approach: removing standing water to prevent mosquito breeding, applying eco-friendly larvicides, and educating the public on personal protection measures to minimize the risk of infection.
(with inputs from BBC)
