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NEWS
Ashkenazic Jews are at High Risk for West Nile Fever
by N Katzin
Mosquitoes are not only annoying pests, especially for Jews: a new Israeli study reveals that Jews of Ashkenazic descent are more susceptible than others to contract complications from the West Nile Fever virus.
Professor Neil Basharaat, director of the Internal Medicine Department and expert in infectious diseases at the Refuei HaEmek Medical Center notes that the suspicion of the connection between the severity of the disease to the patient's ethnic origin arose when he noted that most of those hospitalized from the above virus were Jews. The study showed that 90% of the patients who contracted the disease in a severe form where Jews and 94% of them were of Ashkenazic origin. An analysis of the data of the Ministry of Health showed that of 1,200 patients hospitalized in Israel from contagion, 93% were Jews. Genetic tests showed two mutations indicating a genetic connection to the disease.
West Nile Fever is caused by the bite of a mosquito carrying the virus, says Professor Basharaat. "In most cases, infection with the virus does not cause symptoms of any kind and passes without the person even being aware of having been infected. Twenty percent of those infected suffer light symptoms characterized by fever, headache, weakness etc., while in 1%, the infection develops into meningitis. No real explanation has been given why young, healthy people suddenly contract the disease in such a virulent form which can even lead to death." In the next stage of the research the scientists will attempt to qualify the exact genetic factor.
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