West Nile fever and its development

Abstract

Arthropod-borne viruses are the cause of numerous emerging zoonotic diseases worldwide and cause more than one million deaths per year. West Nile fever virus is one of them. Since its discovery in 1937, it has spread along the world, till becoming one of the most important etiological agents producing encephalitis in horses and birds. Currently, in Spain there are numerous outbreaks, where the presentation has been modified due to climate change. This has favoured the development of vectors and their infestation, mainly because our country forms part of the main migratory routes of birds from Africa which can be infected by the virus, where the disease is endemic. Our country acts as a bridge to Europe, through its wetlands, a place chosen by these birds for nesting. In addition, the proximity of our territory (mainly Andalusia and the Canary Islands) to the African coast, could favour the arrival of infested mosquitoes carried by the air currents. Based on the above, as well as for the zoonotic nature of this disease, we have considered the aim of this work to document the distribution of West Nile Fever throughout history and how climate change has determined its development and current expansion, as well as its impact on the Canary Islands.