What is the West Nile Virus and how great is the risk in Switzerland?

Reported cases of the West Nile Virus are increasing in Italy, and mosquitoes carrying the virus have also been detected in Switzerland. So, how high is the risk posed by the virus in the alpine nation? Here’s what you need to know:

Risk posed by West Nile Virus very low in Switzerland

As of the beginning of August, 89 cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed in Italy, predominantly in the Lazio region, which includes the capital city of Rome. 11 people are known to have died of the virus so far. Mosquitoes infected with the virus have been found in Ticino, the southernmost Swiss canton that borders Italy.

However, experts say that the risk in Switzerland is still very low. There have been no human infections reported in Switzerland so far this year. The Federal Office of Public Health has said that “the probability of locally transmitted infections in humans is considered very low,” SRF reports. 

What is the West Nile Virus and what are the symptoms?

The West Nile Virus, named after the West Nile district of Uganda, where the virus was first isolated in 1937, primarily circulates between birds and mosquitoes. If a mosquito bites an infected bird, it can pass the virus on to the next creature it bites - commonly birds, but in isolated cases also humans and horses. Humans cannot pass the virus on to one another. 

Most infections are harmless - around 80 percent of infected people don’t notice anything at all. Around 20 percent develop flu-like symptoms such as fever or headaches. In rare cases, especially among those who are older or have weakened immune systems, the virus can cause severe neurological symptoms, which in very rare cases are sometimes fatal. 

There is no known treatment for the virus. A doctor can only treat the symptoms of the virus, not the virus itself, for instance, by offering painkillers or other medication.