The head of the ministry’s National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Stepan Atoyan, said they are among 41 people infected with the mosquito-borne virus and hospitalized as a result.
Armenian health authorities have recorded a total of 58 cases of the disease in the last two weeks, he said, adding that all of them were detected in the central Aragatsotn province.
According to medics, the virus is transmitted to humans only by mosquitos infected by birds. It usually causes mild symptoms but can be dangerous for elderly people and individuals suffering from chronic or severe diseases.
“Severe cases involving infection of the nervous system, including meningitis and encephalitis, account for up to 1 percent of all infections,” Atoyan told a news conference.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus. The Ministry of Health announced no concrete measures to prevent its spread. Atoyan emphasized the seasonal nature of the virus, saying that the outbreak is at its peak now and it should end by November.