West Nile virus patient treated in ICU at Nicosia General Hospital

Nicosia, Cyprus. A person who tested positive for West Nile virus is being treated in the intensive care unit at Nicosia General Hospital, the health ministry confirmed on Thursday.

The ministry said it had been informed of the patient’s condition but did not disclose further details about the person’s age or circumstances.

Transmission and symptoms

West Nile virus is transmitted primarily through the bites of infected mosquitoes, which contract the virus after feeding on infected birds.

The virus is not transmitted between people through casual social or sexual contact, or from hospitalised patients to healthcare staff.

The incubation period after a mosquito bite is typically between two and 14 days.

Most infections cause no symptoms or only mild illness. Fewer than one per cent of infected people develop serious neurological complications, including encephalitis, meningitis or paralysis.

Higher-risk groups

People aged over 50, those who are immunosuppressed and people with chronic underlying conditions face a higher risk of severe illness.

According to the health ministry, sporadic cases are recorded in Cyprus at intervals, mainly during the summer months.

In rare cases, the virus can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding, or from mother to foetus during pregnancy.