Dr. Rakic reveals whether there are people infected with West Nile virus in Belgrade

Photo: Pixabay

Mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus have been discovered in Belgrade, but so far there are no infected citizens, Violeta Rakic, an epidemiologist at the Milan Jovanovic Batut Institute of Public Health, confirmed for RTS.

Recommended

"Most often, diseases caused by this virus are registered in the second half of July and in August," said Rakic and added that this is one of the ways to draw the attention of citizens to how to protect themselves.

According to her, protective measures are well known.

"Avoiding all areas where the activity of mosquitoes is intensified, forests, rivers, marshland, especially in the evening and at dawn. It is necessary to wear loose fitting clothes, and apply protective creams to exposed parts of the body," said Rakic.

She added that with many people the disease goes without symptoms - in 80 percent of cases, but in 20 percent develop fever, fatigue, and rashes.

"In less than one percent, serious symptoms can appear, such as meningitis, encephalitis, sudden loss of consciousness, coma, and these are conditions that require hospitalization," the epidemiologist pointed out.

She noted that more than 1,000 cases were registered from 2012 until 2020, as well as that there were no registered cases in 2020, and none this year so far.

If citizens notice a large number of mosquitoes, they can report that to the City Sanitation company.

(Telegraf.rs)