The tropical Nile fever mosquito that spreads the West Nile virus, or Nile fever, has appeared in Southern Sweden. A consequence of a warmer climate.
And in Skåne, preparations are being made to fill up the blood bank in order to be able to perform safe blood transfusions.
Already after the record summer of 2018, the West Nile virus spread to Germany. But it didn’t end its journey north there.
– We were going to have dinner and it was a mosquito that landed on my arm that I saved. When I sat at home and identified the species of all the mosquitoes, I saw that this was a new species for Sweden, he says, says Anders Lindström, who is a mosquito researcher at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.
The year was 2016 when he discovered the first documented Nile fever mosquito in his garden in Simrishamn.
Aggressive and can cause serious diseases
The Nile fever mosquito has been spreading the West Nile virus for several years in southern Europe. It is a viral disease that can cause flu-like symptoms. In rare cases, the disease leads to meningitis and death.
– It is good at transmitting this virus. It is also quite aggressive and bites birds, which are mainly infected by this virus. But it also bites people, he says.
And now the Blood Center in Region Skåne is preparing. It is the first region in Sweden to have a contingency plan for its blood bank and can thus test whether the blood is virus-free at two days’ notice.
– The most important thing for us is that we provide the healthcare system with safe blood products. And we have seen that the West Nile virus has spread further and further up into northern Europe. As Sweden’s southernmost region, we must be prepared to be able to test blood donors for this virus, says Magnus Jöud, chief physician at Region Skåne.
Can colonize Southern Sweden
The Nile fever mosquito is good at transmitting the virus and when it multiplies, it does so quickly.
– Last year it was found in Finland, at the height of Söderhamn. It appears that it could colonize the whole of southern Sweden. We have seen that it has started to spread up the west coast of Sweden, says Anders Lindström.
It’s Nile fever
The disease does not spread between people except in exceptional cases. It can be via blood transfusion, organ transplantation and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Nile fever is found almost all over the world. Including Europe.
80 percent of all infected people show no symptoms. But the rest of the cases get mild flu-like symptoms: fever, headache and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting. You can also get a red-flame rash and swollen lymph nodes. Less than one percent of cases become serious with signs of brain or meningitis. The milder cases are sick for about a week.
The virus has led to deaths in Europe, according to the European center for disease prevention and control. It is above all those with a weakened immune system who are hit so hard.
Source: Public Health Agency