A middle-aged Israeli woman has become the eighth victim of Nile Fever, a mosquito-spread virus that has struck around 150 people this summer, the health ministry said Thursday.
The 54-year-old died Wednesday of complications from the virus, which is most risky for the elderly, children under five and those with a deficient immune system.
Israeli authorities have been conducting widespread spraying campaigns using a technique known as "fogging" in a bid to eradicate the mosquitoes and contain the disease.
The Union of Local Authorities said that in the past week alone it has spent some one million dollars in pesticide spraying.
Of the 150 diagnosed with the virus, around 100 have been hospitalized, the ministry said.
"Whether you call it an outbreak or an epidemic there is no difference," said Israeli public health official Alex Leventhal.
The disease resembles malaria, causing influenza-like symptoms and leading to meningitis in more serious cases. There is no known preventive medication against West Nile fever – JERUSALEM (AFP)
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