Photo: © Screenshot of the video
A dangerous virus, outbreaks of which were previously recorded only in hot countries, is spreading in several regions of Russia at once. We are talking about West Nile fever, which is carried by the most common mosquitoes. Each such case is already under the close attention of virologists.
Correspondent Igor Kaporikov found out what their prognosis is and what consequences the bites may lead to. All the details are in the story REN TV.
They will find a victim even in the dark
There is no escape from them on the street, no shelter at home. The annoying bloodsuckers will find their victim even in the dark.
“So small, but annoying. No one likes to wake up to the squeak of mosquitoes and scratch the bite marks in the morning. But they cause more than just annoying itching. Bites can pose a much greater danger to human health.”– says the correspondent.
How West Nile Fever Spreads
One mosquito bites up to 15 times, and it is unknown whose blood it drank before landing on your shoulder, and what dangerous “surprise” it has prepared – an allergic rash or a deadly African infection. For example, West Nile fever.
“It’s an animal virus. It’s carried from animals to humans by mosquitoes or with pliers. Most often by mosquitoes, it is a mosquito infection”said virologist, doctor of medical sciences Anatoly Altshtein.
Of the hundreds of species inhabiting Russia, the southern infection is carried by mosquitoes of the genus Culex, also known as the most common squeakers. This year alone, they infected residents of Astrakhan, Ryazan and Tula regions. The largest number of sick people today is in Tatarstan.
“Rospotrebnadzor laboratories monitor the circulation of pathogens in the external environment. Everything comes together to form one picture that allows us to assess the current situation. It is now fairly under control.”said Albina Melnikova, Head of the Department of Epidemiological Welfare of the Population of Rospotrebnadzor.
Meanwhile, armed with repellent, residents of Kazan are cautiously going outside today.
“This is very scary news for us. I hope it doesn’t spread throughout our city.”– noted Kazan resident Daria Pak.
In most cases, West Nile fever is asymptomatic, but if your condition worsens after a mosquito bite, you should see a doctor. The virus is not transmitted from person to person.
How West Nile fever entered Russia
The footage shows several roaring tornadoes moving towards populated areas of Bashkiria. Due to heavy precipitation, the number of bloodsuckers in the region has increased several times. The situation is no better in the neighboring Chelyabinsk Region. Darya Lukina has practically stopped going outside: firstly, she is afraid of catching a dangerous disease, and secondly, she is allergic to mosquitoes.
“The skin always swells up a lot, itches a lot. The redness doesn’t go away for a long time.”said Chelyabinsk resident Daria Lukina.
Dangerous insects do not fly to Russia from the West Nile themselves. The virus comes to us in natural “reservoirs” – infected migratory birds, and here mosquitoes bite them, transmitting the infection to people. Residents of the southern regions of Russia, where the climate is suitable for the virus, are in the zone of particular danger today. Due to global warming, the central part of Russia, the Volga region and Western Siberia are under threat.
“The rise in temperature and heat waves that come to cities create a huge number of different types of increase in the population of insects, which can be dangerous in terms of transmitting various infections”– emphasized the Chairman of the Public Council under the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) Vadim Petrov.
How to protect yourself
Climate change also contributes to the emergence of dangerous insects previously unknown to our regions, which can infect not only with West Nile fever, but also with Dengue, Zika and Tyaginya viruses.
“This famous Egyptian mosquito Aedes aegypti, which lives in Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea, has already appeared here. Now, due to global warming, conditions have become more suitable for it in the south of our country.”– said entomologist Yuri Gninenko.
To save millions of people from dangerous diseases, scientists from several countries at once deliberately infected mosquitoes with bacteria and edited their genes. The insects became an antivirus and disinfected a swarm of thousands. In our country, the experiment failed – the territories were too large.
Therefore, today you will have to rely only on yourself and your own precautions. According to doctors, the most effective way to prevent infection with viruses is to keep mosquitoes away from you.
Source: Ren
Henry Smith is a knowledgeable and experienced health journalist. He currently writes for 24 news breaker, where he provides readers with in-depth analysis and expert insights on a wide range of health-related topics. With a focus on evidence-based reporting and a passion for making complex health information accessible to a general audience, Henry’s work is highly respected in the industry.