At least 69 people have been infected and eight people have died due to the West Nile virus, which spreads more frequently during the summer in Europe.
ADVERTISEMENTAs the summer heats up, nine European countries are reporting local spread of the West Nile virus (WNV) and eight people have died from the mosquito-borne illness, according to the EU’s disease prevention agency.
At least 69 infections have been reported this summer, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a news release on Monday. It added that WNV cases are expected to rise in the coming weeks and months given the warmer summer weather and because the mosquitoes that spread the virus are native to Europe.
“The transmission season is well under way,” the ECDC said.
As of the end of July, locally acquired human cases have been reported mainly in Greece (31) and Italy (25), but also in Spain (five), Austria, Hungary, and Serbia (two each), and Romania and France (one case each). Croatia also reported its first case in August.
Five people have died in Greece, two in Italy and one in Spain.
Greece’s health authority issued a warning about the virus last week, saying more cases are expected to emerge and that people should take protective measures to prevent infection, such as reducing time spent outdoors in affected areas.
Use mosquito repellant and cover up
Last year, nine European Union countries reported a total of 709 cases, including 67 deaths. That’s down from the 1,116 cases reported in 2022, although more regions were affected by the spread of the virus in 2023 than any year since 2018.
“At the European level, the total number of cases reported so far this year is within the expected range, even though the number of cases in Greece and Spain are higher than in previous years,” the ECDC said.
Research published in the journal Nature Communications indicates that a combination of climate change and greater population density mean that people are at greater risk of exposure to WNV today than in the past.
The virus is most common in birds, but people and animals can also be infected through mosquito bites. People can avoid the virus by using mosquito repellant, wearing clothing that covers most of their bodies, and sleeping in air-conditioned or screened-in rooms, the ECDC said.
While most WNV infections don’t lead to symptoms, about 20 per cent can cause West Nile fever, which can lead to headache, fever, vomiting, fatigue, and general discomfort, the ECDC said. Fewer than 1 per cent of infections cause a serious condition that affects the nervous system.
