A West Nile virus alert has been declared in a Costa del Sol town.
The Junta de Andalucia has declared Alhaurin de la Torre an official alert area after confirming circulation of the virus in mosquito traps near the town’s urban centre.
Health authorities said the infected mosquitoes were detected less than 1.5km from the populated area.
It comes just days after Pizarra, an inland town in Malaga, was also placed under the same alert.
Some 63 human cases of West Nile virus have been diagnosed in Andalucia so far this year.
Of these, 38 have been classified as mild, while 25 have developed neuroinvasive disease, the much more serious form of the infection that can affect the brain and nervous system.
Two people have died and 11 patients remain in hospital.
Health authorities have carried out laboratory tests on 636 people to rule out West Nile infection, while another 132 cases of viral meningitis have undergone screening for arboviruses.
A further 5,369 tests have been carried out as part of blood donor screening.
The Junta declares an area to be on alert when human cases are diagnosed or when circulation of West Nile virus is detected in mosquitoes, birds or horses.
There are currently 29 municipalities and six other local entities under alert across Andalucia.
The affected areas are spread across the provinces of Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva, Malaga and Sevilla.
A network of 232 mosquito traps remains active across Andalucia.
West Nile virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Most people who become infected develop no symptoms, while those who do typically experience a mild flu-like illness.
However, a small proportion can develop severe neurological disease, including meningitis or encephalitis, with older people and those with certain underlying conditions generally more at risk.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
