Spanish Tourist Hospitalized with West Nile Virus After Morocco Trip

The young girl’s condition deteriorated to the point where she was admitted to the Virgen Macarena hospital in Seville. She would be suffering from encephalitis due to the West Nile virus, contracted in Morocco, according to the Directorate General of Public Health of Andalusia. This would be the first case recorded in Spain this summer. According to local authorities, this disease has been raging for several weeks in France, Italy, Israel or the United States.

"This virus is transmitted by the bite of certain mosquito species," notes the Europa Press agency. The virus appears seasonally between May and November. Symptoms range from high fever, headaches, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Unfortunately, this virus can cause massive damage to the nervous system. About 71 cases were detected in Andalusia in 2021, including eight deaths.