A dead crow is causing a stir in Los Angeles.
The animal was infected with the West Nile virus.
There is no therapy for tropical diseases.
Los Angeles - West Nile Virus (WNV) has no vaccine or medication to treat it.
The virus originally came from Africa.
The pathogen has now been detected in a dead crow in Los Angeles (USA) - more precisely in Pasadena.
This was announced by the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District in LA.
The find caused a stir.
It will be the first case in 2021 to demonstrate the activity in California.
The authorities are sounding the alarm because an infection with the West Nile virus can be very dangerous for people.
Blood-sucking mosquitoes transmit the virus to humans.
Animals can be infected with the West Nile virus, but not directly transmitted to humans.
West Nile Virus Alert in Los Angeles
"One bite of a mosquito carrying the West Nile virus is enough to get sick," warns SGVMVCD spokesman Levy Sun.
150 Americans fall seriously ill with the tropical disease every year - some of them die, according to the US epidemic agency.
That is why the West Nile virus is so dangerous
West Nile virus infection can be severe in some people.
In rare cases, people develop inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or meningitis (meningitis).
The tropical disease is therefore feared.
Most will develop a fever - which will go away in about five days.
Typical symptoms include headache, body aches and rashes - but diarrhea and vomiting can also occur.
West Nile Virus (WNV)
The West Nile virus originated in Africa and was first detected in Uganda in 1937.
In Europe, it first appeared in France in the early 1960s, reports the Friedrich-Löffler-Institut (FLI).
It first appeared in the United States in 1999 and quickly spread across the country and as far as Canada.
At the end of August 2018, a bird infected with WNV was found for the first time in Germany, a great gray owl from an aviary in Halle ad Saale.
The FLI has been monitoring the spread in Europe for years.
Symptoms of WNV infection are flu-like, such as fever, chills, or headaches and aches and pains.
Vomiting and diarrhea as well as rashes can occur.
Infection often goes without symptoms.
In some rare cases, people develop inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or meningitis (meningitis).
The WNV is transmitted to humans by blood-sucking mosquitoes.
The genus of mosquitoes that most frequently transmits West Nile fever is called Culex (common house mosquito) and is also found in Germany.
"When the weather gets warmer, everyone should protect themselves from mosquito bites," warn the authorities.
It is now important to remove stagnant water, for example in flower pots around the house or in neglected pools.
In southern California, mosquitoes are particularly active between May and October.
West Nile virus detected in Germany
People in Germany were also infected with the West Nile virus.
The tropical disease is spreading more and more.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported eight cases in September 2020 *.
A 76-year-old man developed encephalitis, a 32-year-old woman and an 85-year-old man developed meningitis.
An infection with the West Nile virus was detected in Germany for the first time in 2019.
(ml) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
List of rubric lists: © Stefan Rotter / imago