Tourists have been warned of an outbreak of a deadly disease in a Spanish holiday hotspot, frequented by Britons.
Reports of the West Nile Virus have been found in mosquitoes in Tarajal, a neighbourhood six miles from Malaga’s centre.
The area is considered "on alert" until November 5 at least, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More severe symptoms of the virus affect the central nervous system in rare cases and these can lead to paralysation, hospitalisation, and death.
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This occurs when the virus crosses the blood-brain barrier and infects the brain or spinal barrier, but this happens in fewer than one per cent of cases.
Other locations in Spain, including La Luisiana in Seville and Tahivilla in Tarifa, have had reports of the virus.
Andalusia’s Health and Consumer Department identified mosquitoes in the area as carrying the virus.
The alert was based on the local officials measuring the virus’s proximity to Malaga.
Tarajal is around six miles from the tourist hotspot
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Locals in Malaga will receive guidance on how to protect themselves from the virus.
The West Nile Virus is mosquito borne and spreads through a bite from one of the insects.
Birds are the normal carrier of the virus, but human transmission does occur, with about 2,000 cases of West Nile Virus being reported in the United States each year, according to the CDC.
This number may be underreported however, as the virus does not cause symptoms in the majority of those infected.
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West Nile virus typically circulates in birds through mosquitoes | GETTYMild symptoms include fever, headache, and rashes on the leg, arm, and neck, according to the NHS.
Those over 50 and with underlying medical conditions such as cancer or diabetes are at higher risk of developing severe symptoms, the NHS reports.
In March this year, the West Nile Virus was found in Nottinghamshire.
Meanwhile, in the US, an older adult with underlying health conditions died of West Nile in Maricopa County, Arizona, in July.
This was one of 50 reported cases of the virus in Maricopa County this year.
There have been 1,564 cases in 43 states of the United States reported this year to the CDC.
However, the NHS considers the risk of human transmission of West Nile within the United Kingdom low.
It recommends travellers visiting high risk areas to practice mosquito bite avoidance.
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