For the first time, cases of West Nile Fever, a mosquito-borne virus, have been recorded in Armenia. According to Radio Liberty, one person has died, and around 20 have been hospitalized.
The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reports that the condition of the hospitalized patients ranges from moderate to severe. The patients' ages vary from 25 to 65 years.
The virus can cause serious complications, including inflammation of the brain's membrane or the brain itself (meningoencephalitis). People with chronic illnesses and the elderly are at higher risk.
Stepan Atoyan, the director of the NCDC, notes that healthy individuals usually experience milder symptoms. However, there is no specific treatment for the virus, and therapy is only symptomatic. There is also no vaccine available for this infection.
The exact percentage of the population at risk has not yet been determined. This issue requires further study, as stated by the NCDC director.
