Test results show elderly Acre woman died of West Nile Virus - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Wed., August 29, 2007 Elul 15, 5767

Israel Time: 21:44 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Books

Sports

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 10:05 29/08/2007

Test results show elderly Acre woman died of West Nile Virus

By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent

The Environmental Protection Ministry on Tuesday alerted local authorities across Israel to increase mosquito extermination practices after test results for an 82-year-old woman who died Sunday showed the mosquito-born West Nile Virus had caused her death.

Mosquitoes carrying the virus were found at three separate sites across Israel, most recently two weeks ago near Carmiel in the north.

The woman, from Acre, was admitted last week to Nahariya's Western Galilee Hospital with a high fever as well as chronic heart and respiratory problems and died Sunday. Test results revealed Tuesday that West Nile Virus was the cause of her death, prompting the Environmental Protection Ministry to issue an Israel-wide warning.

	Advertisement

Health Ministry representative in Acre, Dr Shihab Shihab said previous testing for virus-carrying mosquitoes had yielded negative results, and further tests were carried out. When results showing the elderly woman at WGH had died of the virus, the municipality was ordered to exterminate mosquitoes by spraying and empty stagnant pools where larvae could be laid.

Epidemiologist at WGH Emile Aga said West Nile Virus, whose symptoms include high fever and headaches, can lead to cerebral inflammation known as encephalitis. Symptoms begin to show 15 days after the victim is bitten by an infected mosquito.

In most cases the immune system defeats the virus, however there is no treatment for the disease if it does not. Elderly people suffering from chronic heart and respiratory disorders are most at risk of serious illness or death caused by West Nile Virus.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Bon voyage
	The declining quality of airline service is causing 750 million travelers bitter suffering.


	Satmar silence
	No posters, crowds or even criticism greeted the Satmar Rebbe in Jerusalem.




1.	Get Govt. 2 ACT not talk;mosquitos in Jerusalem corridor	23:13	\|	sam	28/08/07

2.	WNV treatment has existed for past 5 summers	21:35	\|	David Moskowitz MD	29/08/07

Today Online


	Hezbollah to file lawsuits against Israel for war damage
	Responses: 200


	Hass: Israel, PA agree impoverishing Gaza will topple Hamas
	Responses: 66


	Arab farmers forced to sell land to non-Jews for sabbatical year
	Responses: 97


	Israel considering construction of fence on Egyptian border
	Responses: 125


	Haaretz.com TV: J'lem police keep the peace at naptime
	Responses: 20

Rosner's Domain

* Iraq and Gaza: History in combat

* Blog & poll: 3 writers critique the Walt-Mearsheimer book

* Why is Senator Shelby holding the Iran divestment bill?

* WTR: A sympathetic story about an Israeli settler?

More Headlines
19:33 Two Palestinian children killed in IDF strike in Gaza


21:31 Rights group says silenced by Hezbollah, Lebanon over report


18:47 Hospital refuses order to transfer paralyzed Palestinian girl


20:20 UN Mideast envoy expresses 'guarded optimism' about peace


21:43 Labor Party cancels collective wage agreement with employees


21:43 Zambian soccer player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva dies during practice


17:59 Security officials: IDF reducing troop presence in Golan in effort to ease tensions


17:04 Israel, EU lawmakers blast UN meeting on Palestinian rights


19:36 Lebanese minister slams Hezbollah telephone network


19:09 Career soldier's gun accidentally discharges; brother critically hurt