The West Nile virus has killed 71 people in Israel during this year’s outbreak as of Sept. 26, the Health Ministry in Jerusalem announced on Sunday.
Overall, 916 people have been diagnosed with the virus in the past four months.
Mosquitoes carrying the virus were caught in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat, according to the Environmental Protection Ministry.
West Nile virus has affected Israel for years, usually appearing in June through November and not infecting large numbers of people.
Some 80% of those infected develop no symptoms, but the rest, especially elderly and immune-compromised people, display flu-like symptoms including fever, general malaise, headaches and body aches.
Neurological complications appear in less than 1% of those infected.
People in central Israel are especially at risk of contracting the disease as the high humidity creates a good breeding ground for the mosquitoes that spread it, the Health Ministry noted.
The virus is primarily transmitted to humans via mosquitoes—particularly, species that feed on birds—and does not spread from person to person.
Israeli authorities have urged health officials to increase mosquito monitoring and extermination efforts while calling on the public to take measures to minimize mosquito infestation and bites.
West Nile virus was named after the West Nile district of Uganda where it was first isolated in 1937.
