English
A second elderly patient was announced to have died today from the West Nile fever. The 72-year-old patient was from Skopje, where most of the two dozen cases confirmed so far have been reported, informed the director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic Fadil Cana.
For the sake of transparency and correct information to the public, I would like to inform that, unfortunately, a 72-year-old patient with laboratory-confirmed West Nile virus infection and severe clinical picture of meningoencephalitis has died, Cana said in a statement to the media.
He explained that the patient was in a serious general condition upon admission, with pronounced neurological symptoms. Despite the measures taken for intensive treatment and continuous monitoring, his health condition progressively deteriorated.
A total of 24 patients are currently hospitalized at the Clinic, of which 19 have laboratory-confirmed West Nile virus infection. Five of them are suspected and are undergoing a diagnostic procedure. Seven of the hospitalized patients have a more serious clinical condition and are under intensive medical supervision. Five of them are on mechanical ventilation, the other hospitalized patients are in the Department of Neuroinfections and are already in stable condition. All necessary measures are being taken for their treatment, Cana said.
The director emphasized that the condition of all hospitalized patients is being monitored continuously. For any significant change, he said, especially in relation to patients with a more severe clinical picture, the public will be informed in a timely and transparent manner.
This is the second case of death from West Nile fever, after the death of an 83-year-old patient. The person about whom Director Cana informed today had previously been hospitalized from admission with a severe form of inflammation of the brain and meninges. From the beginning, from admission, the patient was in a serious general condition with pronounced neurological symptoms. Despite all the intensive measures taken and continuous monitoring, as Cana explained, his health condition deteriorated, after which it had a tragic outcome. “All of the patients are elderly and have comorbidities”, Cana said.