Jordan records first case of West Nile fever

AMMAN — The Ministry of Health on Monday announced the first recorded case of West Nile fever through its fever surveillance programme in selected areas.

The case was diagnosed in the central laboratories of the Ministry of Health, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Health Ministry Secretary-General for Primary Health and Epidemics Raed Shboul said that the recorded case is of a 6-year-old girl who is in stable condition, recovering, and under medical supervision.

Shboul pointed out that the selected areas for the fever surveillance programme are geographically representative regions, noting that the disease does not spread from person to person and is not a public health concern.

He emphasised that the Ministry of Health has a strong surveillance programme capable of detecting and diagnosing cases in the laboratory.

He emphasised that the Ministry of Health provides all laboratory tests for infectious diseases of epidemiological concern and is capable of confronting and diagnosing any epidemic promptly.

All tests are free for suspected cases in the kingdom, regardless of the patient’s nationality.

Shboul said that the ministry has circulated information about the disease and its vectors to all affiliated health institutions, the Royal Medical Services, university hospitals, and private sector hospitals.

He added that the ministry has also developed a plan to prevent the disease, which includes combating insects and mosquitoes in the air and water bodies, in cooperation with all relevant ministries and institutions. 

Shboul explained that West Nile fever is a zoonotic disease transmitted from infected birds to humans through mosquito bites.

Humans are the final place for the virus, meaning it does not spread from person to person, and isolation is not required for those infected.