SPAIN’S southernmost region is fearing a surge in West Nile virus cases following 11 deaths from the disease last year.
It comes amid a rapid rise in temperatures following weeks of unusually wet weather, which typically favours a boom in mosquito populations.
Last year, 11 people died from the mosquito-borne infection in Spain, most of them in Sevilla province, in the heart of Andalucia.
Sevilla was the epicentre of the West Nile outbreak last summer thanks to its extreme heat and vast areas of marshlands, including in the Doñana National Park and along the snaking Guadalquivir River.
This year, the regional government is taking action much earlier by sending out fumigation teams to the province in April, rather than the typical July.
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As part of a €6million plan, teams of experts using drones and other equipment will patrol the 15 most at risk municipalities, fumigating near stagnant waters.
Scientists from the Doñana Biological Station are also assisting by installing traps to detect West Nile carrying mosquitos.
Once detected, the experts release natural predators of the pest, such as bats and certain birds.
An app is also being rolled out that will alert people if they are near a high risk area, warning them to apply mosquito repellent or wear appropriate clothing.
In Malaga, the City Council has maintained an intensive mosquito surveillance programme for the past five years.
Traps are placed throughout the city to test adult specimens for West Nile, while stagnant waters are scoured for larvae that can be neutralised before they hatch into adult mosquitos.
