[Ip-health] Mosquito virus arrives in Europe

[Spring Gombe]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
  BBC NEWS
Mosquito virus arrives in Europe

A debilitating tropical virus carried by mosquitoes has become
established in Europe for the first time.

The Ministry of Health in Italy has confirmed about 160 cases of
chikungunya in the Ravenna region in northern Italy. Travellers have
been advised to protect themselves against mosquito bites.The
European Centre for Disease Control urged pregnant women and those
with chronic illnesses to seek medical advice before visiting the
area. The villages of Castiglione di Ravenna and Castiglione di
Cervia have reported most of the cases. The main symptoms of the
patients were high fever and joint pain, as well as headache, muscle
pain, rash and less frequently gastrointestinal symptoms. One death
was reported in a 83-year old individual with underlying medical
conditions.

World first
Professor Antoine Flahault, who coordinates French research on
chikungunya, said the Italian outbreak was a "world first" outside
the tropics. Writing in the Quotidien du Medecin journal, he said the
extension of the virus beyond its Indian Ocean origins was "worrying
without being alarming". He suggested that the very high density of
mosquitoes in and around Ravenna had fuelled the outbreak. "The
mosquito vectors (carriers) of this disease have been in Italy for
several years. All we know is that increased temperatures and
humidity make the climate more tropical and favour the proliferation
of mosquitoes," he said. The virologist said the situation in Ravenna
was under control and measures had been taken to reduce the number of
mosquitoes.

Chikungunya gets its name from a Swahili word meaning "that which
bends up" because of the arthritic-type symptoms that leave victims
stooped. Symptoms usually appear between four to seven days after
being bitten and can persist for several weeks. There is no vaccine
against chikungunya.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/6981476.stm

Published: 2007/09/06 10:47:30 GMT

=A9 BBC MMVII

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Spring Gombe
spring.gombe@keionline.org