The mosquito-borne illness which is causing deaths in popular European holiday areas
Five people have died
Protests have been held in the Spanish city of Seville to demand action over West Nile Virus, which has killed five people in the region.
The virus, which is common in Africa, can spread to humans when mosquitoes bite infected birds and then subsequently bite humans.
The virus has become more prevalent throughout the world - with a former senior White House medical advisor treated for it in hospital earlier this year.
Demonstrators want the Spanish government to implement measures which they say will help stop the spread of the virus by curbing breeding grounds of mosquitoes.
What is West Nile virus and how common is it in Spain and other European countries?
In the recent outbreak in southern Spain, there have been 61 cases and a total of five deaths. The western Spanish region of Extremadura, which, like Andalusia, also has marshlands, has seen 17 cases.
In Europe, human cases have been reported since the 1960s, however the numbers have increased sharply in recent years.
Countries including Greece, Hungary, Romania and Serbia, as well as parts of Italy, have experienced outbreaks in the past 20 years. Protest group Fight against the Nile Virus wants the government to fumigate rice fields, which they believe are a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Above-normal summer temperatures are believed to be a likely cause of an increase in cases in Europe.
Most West Nile Virus infections in humans are asymptomatic, however some cases can cause West Nile Fever and in even more rare cases, West Nile neuroinvasive disease. People who are immunocompromised and the elderly are most at risk.
The fatality rate among patients with West Nile neuroinvasive disease can be as high as 17 per cent.
The incubation period is usually three to 14 days.
Where did it originate?
The virus was first isolated by scientists in 1937 from a woman in the West Nile district in Uganda. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, it is currently the arbovirus with the widest geographic distribution and can be found in parts of North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
What are other countries doing abut West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses? Mosquito borne illnesses - including eastern equine encephalitis as well as West Nile Virus - are becoming an increasing problem across the world.
Some cities in the US, in states including Massachusetts, New York, Texas and California, are spraying pesticides on streets at night to deter the insects.
Other cities, including Oxford, in Massachusetts, have warned residents to stay inside after 6pm to avoid mosquito bites.
Former medical advisor to the US president, Anthony Fauci, was hospitalised with West Nile Virus in August, while an outbreak in 2002 affected4,156 people in 44 states and claimed 284 lives.
What can people do to prevent it? People visiting or living in affected areas are advised to use insecticide-treated bed nets, sleep in air-conditioned rooms, cover up with long sleeved and legged clothing and use mosquito repellent.
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