Barbados has recorded its first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that “a child less than 15-year-old residing in Bagatelle, St Thomas” tested positive for the virus last month and is still under care and recovering.
The WHO made the disclosure in a post in its Disease Outbreak News on Thursday, assuring that the overall risk to public health is “low”. Based on available information so far, it has not recommended any restrictions on travel and/or trade for Barbados.
WNV is a mosquito-borne virus that causes disease in humans, horses, and birds. It spreads to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, and it can make people sick and even cause death.
“This is the first human case of WNV infection detected in Barbados. Additionally, no infections have been previously documented in birds or horses in this country, making this case both unusual and unexpected,” the WHO said.
“However, the WNV has spread throughout the Caribbean, likely via infected migratory birds. It is possible that the virus is circulating in birds and horses undetected. Despite this, the overall impact on public health remains limited at this stage, as there is currently only one recorded human case and appropriate public health response measures have been implemented. WHO considers the current risk from WNV as low but will continue to evaluate the epidemiological situation in Barbados.”
According to the post, the International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) for Barbados notified WHO on September 13 of the confirmed infection.
Giving the details of the case, the WHO said that on June 10, the patient reported the onset of symptoms including headache, fever, vomiting, neck pain and painful knees, and visited a private clinic four days later. A test for dengue conducted on the same day was negative.
The patient was hospitalised on June 16 due to worsening of signs and symptoms, including joint pain, abdominal pain, altered mental status, and slurred speech. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis returned negative results for some bacterial and viral pathogens. Despite treatment, the patient’s condition worsened.
On September 3, blood samples were collected and sent to the Mayo Clinic in the United States for WNV testing. The presence of WNV antibodies was confirmed the following day.
“The patient is still under care and recovering,” the WHO said.
The child had reported visiting a horse stable in February and a beach frequented by horses on June 8, two days before symptom onset.
“Although these exposures to horses were considered risk factors for WNV infection, the precise source of infection remains unspecified,” the WHO said.
After confirmation of the case, the WHO said health authorities in Barbados conducted interviews with the patient’s parents to investigate risk factors such as exposure to animals known to carry WNV, recent travel history, and other relevant factors; and implemented ongoing epidemiological surveillance and testing to ensure no further cases are missed and to evaluate the potential risk of local transmission in the area.
“No other suspected cases of WNV were identified, but public health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely,” it said.
“The risk of international dissemination of WNV from Barbados is low. The virus is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites, with birds as the natural hosts. There is no evidence to suggest that WNV spreads easily between humans or from horses to mosquitoes. Therefore, the potential for widespread international transmission remains low.”
Symptoms of WNV include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat West Nile in people.
