Two cases of West Nile virus infection have occurred in the area of Sisak and Petrinja in central Croatia and it is suspected that there are dozens more infected.

Local media reported on Wednesday.

“Our patients, two of them, had severe symptoms, severe headache, high fever, pain in muscles and joints. It was difficult for them to move, and for the first two or three days they had a disordered state of consciousness, ’’ Tonka Jozic Novinc, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Sisak General Hospital, was quoted by the local N1 news channel as saying.

“The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes; it is not transmitted from person to person. The greater the number of mosquitoes bites on one, the greater the probability of someone getting infected. “It can be expected that we will have more cases, “she said.

While the two patients have fully recovered, Ms Novinc said the disease could be prevented with various mosquito repellents and a healthy lifestyle.

In addition, the cause of the virus is mowing grass and dusting to prevent more mosquitoes. 

(Xinhua/NAN)