West Nile Virus, a Pathogen That "Awakened" in 2020 to the Fear of Horses

The celebration of the Rocío Virgin pilgrimage this weekend poses a challenge for health authorities due to the large number of people and horses concentrated near the marshland The West Nile Virus "awakened" in Spain in 2020, despite already being in the country, but precisely the year of the covid pandemic was also the year of this other pathogen because its outbreaks multiplied to the fear of equines, which are, along with people, the most affected. In fact, in 2019, six outbreaks were declared compared to 139 outbreaks the following year, meaning the detected incidence multiplied by 20; currently, the incidence, without reaching the high level of 2020, remains elevated. In fact, last year 84 virus outbreaks were detected: 68 in equines and 16 in wild birds; mainly in Andalusia, but also in areas of Extremadura, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Valencia, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing, and Food. Until a few years ago, ...