Adam Husicka
AUTHORITIES in southern Spain have stepped up fumigation campaigns after mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus were detected in Cadiz province.
They were found in Benalup-Casas Viejas, where traps captured insects that tested positive for the disease.
As a result, the Andalusian health department has declared the town an alert area for at least four weeks.
No human cases have been reported so far, but officials say the risk remains. In 2024, 158 people were infected in Spain, most of them in Andalusia, and 20 died from complications.
READ MORE: West Nile Virus fear as infected mosquitoes found in three Andalucian towns
That outbreak has made local councils more determined to act early this year.
Work began in May with spraying programmes in ponds, wells and other stagnant water, and will continue until November.
The aim is to target larvae before they develop into adult mosquitoes. The species most often linked to transmission is the common house mosquito, which usually lives close to water and does not travel far.
Benalup is one of 16 towns in Cadiz now classed as high risk, alongside places like Jerez, Vejer, Tarifa and Algeciras.
In total, every municipality in Andalusia is required to have its own mosquito control plan, even those judged to be at lower risk.
Experts stress that the presence of the virus has only been confirmed in mosquitoes, not in birds or horses, which are also vulnerable.
Across Spain this year there have been just four positive cases in animals, none in Cadiz.
For residents, the main advice is to avoid mosquito bites. Health officials recommend using repellents, wearing long sleeves at dusk and dawn, and fitting mosquito nets at home.
People are also urged to remove stagnant water from gardens and patios, where the insects can breed.
Authorities say these combined efforts of fumigation, surveillance and citizen precautions are the only way to reduce the risk of another serious outbreak.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
