First Case of West Nile Fever Confirmed in Albania; Public Health Institute Launches Investigation in Korçë and Prepares Disinfection

The Institute of Public Health has sent specialists to Korçë County and launched an epidemiological investigation after Albania’s first case of West Nile fever was confirmed.

The case involves a 72-year-old man from Korçë, who is currently receiving treatment at Korçë Regional Hospital under the care of doctors.

The elderly man, who lives in the city of Korçë, is suspected of having been bitten by a mosquito while he was staying in a garden where he spent a considerable part of the day.

After developing health problems, he went to the hospital, where laboratory tests confirmed that he had been infected with West Nile virus.

The team that arrived from Tirana is conducting field entomological investigations and screening in the affected area. The aim is to determine whether mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus are present in the area and to establish the necessary measures for their control.

Public Health Institute specialists have extended their inspections to several areas of Korçë County, where they are checking for the possible presence of mosquitoes that transmit the disease. Depending on the findings, the interventions needed to control them will also be determined.

As part of the investigation and preventive measures, specialized teams are also carrying out screening in the affected area.

Interventions to treat and disinfect areas considered likely to harbor mosquitoes are expected to be carried out.

West Nile virus is transmitted to humans mainly through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Most people who are infected may not develop symptoms, while in other cases the infection is accompanied by fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, and vomiting. When the disease occurs in severe form, the virus can damage the nervous system and cause serious complications.

Health authorities are continuing field monitoring. The findings of the Public Health Institute’s investigation are expected to indicate the extent of the spread of the carrier mosquito and the measures that will be implemented to prevent further cases.