<p>An alert against West Nile fever has been sounded in Kerala after several persons were tested positive for the disease in three districts.</p><p>Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the disease was reported in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur districts.</p><p>Sources said that except one, all the infected persons have recovered.</p><p>The vector-borne disease has been reported in Kerala several times earlier. In 2022, a 47-year-old person died of the disease in Thrissur district. The disease mainly spreads through mosquitos.</p><p>As part of the vigil against the disease, the health minister has asked the concerned officials to speed up mosquito-control activities.</p><p>The minister said that there was no need to be worried, but requested anyone showing signs of fever or other symptoms of the infection to seek immediate treatment.</p><p>The main symptoms of West Nile infection are headache, fever, muscle aches, dizziness and loss of memory, but most patients do not experience these, according to a statement issued by the health minister.</p><p>It said that instructions to begin pre-monsoon cleaning activities were already given in a high-level meeting held last week and now, the District Medical Officers (DMOs) have been directed to intensify the same.</p><p>As there is no medicine or vaccine available against West Nile virus, symptomatic treatment and prevention are key.</p><p>Earlier in the day, Kozhikode district health officials confirmed reports of five cases of West Nile fever there.</p><p>The infected persons, which included children, are all fine now and back at their homes with no new cases reported from the areas they live in.</p><p>The samples of those who exhibited symptoms of the disease and had undergone treatment were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune as a routine exercise.</p><p>"The results came back now and indicated that they were suffering from West Nile fever. They are all better now," an official said.</p><p>The West Nile fever is spread by the Culex species of mosquitoes. It was first detected in 1937 in Uganda.</p><p>The fever was first detected in Kerala in 2011 and a six-year-old boy from Malappuram died due to the fever in 2019.</p><p><em>(With agency inputs)</em></p>
<p>An alert against West Nile fever has been sounded in Kerala after several persons were tested positive for the disease in three districts.</p><p>Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the disease was reported in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur districts.</p><p>Sources said that except one, all the infected persons have recovered.</p><p>The vector-borne disease has been reported in Kerala several times earlier. In 2022, a 47-year-old person died of the disease in Thrissur district. The disease mainly spreads through mosquitos.</p><p>As part of the vigil against the disease, the health minister has asked the concerned officials to speed up mosquito-control activities.</p><p>The minister said that there was no need to be worried, but requested anyone showing signs of fever or other symptoms of the infection to seek immediate treatment.</p><p>The main symptoms of West Nile infection are headache, fever, muscle aches, dizziness and loss of memory, but most patients do not experience these, according to a statement issued by the health minister.</p><p>It said that instructions to begin pre-monsoon cleaning activities were already given in a high-level meeting held last week and now, the District Medical Officers (DMOs) have been directed to intensify the same.</p><p>As there is no medicine or vaccine available against West Nile virus, symptomatic treatment and prevention are key.</p><p>Earlier in the day, Kozhikode district health officials confirmed reports of five cases of West Nile fever there.</p><p>The infected persons, which included children, are all fine now and back at their homes with no new cases reported from the areas they live in.</p><p>The samples of those who exhibited symptoms of the disease and had undergone treatment were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune as a routine exercise.</p><p>"The results came back now and indicated that they were suffering from West Nile fever. They are all better now," an official said.</p><p>The West Nile fever is spread by the Culex species of mosquitoes. It was first detected in 1937 in Uganda.</p><p>The fever was first detected in Kerala in 2011 and a six-year-old boy from Malappuram died due to the fever in 2019.</p><p><em>(With agency inputs)</em></p>