MADRID, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality on Thursday issued an advisory over West Nile fever.
It recommended that anyone who visited the provinces of Cadiz, Huelva and Seville in southwest Spain over the past 28 days not donate blood, Spanish TV network RTVE reported.
The recommendation made by the Scientific Committee for Blood Transfusion Safety comes after the detection of three cases of West Nile fever in humans, as well as other cases in horses.
The ministry confirmed it made the recommendation as a temporary precautionary measure and insists there is no reason for alarm.
The regional government in Andalusia activated its protocol for vigilance following the confirmation of the first case of West Nile fever by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control this summer.
West Nile fever is a mosquito-borne virus which in the majority of cases produces only mild flu-like symptoms. However, in a small percentage of cases, it can lead to serious complications such as inflation of the brain and spinal cord with fatal consequences.
