The latest outbreak of West Nile fever has infected 14 Israelis of varying ages, and two of them have died during the past week, the Jerusalem Post newspaper reported.
Health Ministry public health chief Alex Leventhal was quoted by the Israeli newspaper as saying that "larger outbreaks may have occurred last year or the year before, but we didn't know about it."
The minister said the "lab tests are more sophisticated, and awareness of doctors is higher because we alerted them about the possibility a few months ago."
The virus, which in the past year has caused panic in New York City (where it killed seven people and affected an additional 60), is common in Israel, the rest of the Middle East, and parts of Europe, the paper added.
Deaths are rare and result from encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or sometimes meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain or spinal cord).
The virus is not passed person to person, but only by the common variety of mosquitoes infected - Albawaba.com
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