Rethymno records Crete’s first locally acquired West Nile virus case
Crete’s first locally acquired case of West Nile virus has been confirmed in Rethymno, according to information reported in the past few hours.
The patient is a 62-year-old woman who is being treated in the intensive care unit of Rethymno Hospital. According to the same information, she has not been intubated.
The case is considered locally acquired because the woman had not traveled outside Crete in the recent period before falling ill.
The same sources say the patient first consulted a private doctor after developing symptoms, and was later transferred to Rethymno Hospital when her condition required it.
Health authorities on alert
The confirmed case has put Crete’s health authorities on alert and heightened vigilance within the scientific community, which health officials say was already monitoring the situation closely. In practice, the development means sample testing will be intensified.
Separately, a 75-year-old man who contracted West Nile virus remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Venizeleio Hospital in Heraklion. His case has been classified as “imported” rather than locally acquired, since he was traveling from Athens to Crete when symptoms appeared.
