At least 69 people have been infected and eight have died from West Nile virus, which spreads most frequently during the summer in Europe.
As summer approaches, nine European countries report the local spread of West Nile virus Western (VNO). Eight people have died from this disease transmitted by mosquitosaccording to the EU disease prevention agency.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported Monday in a press release that at least 69 infections have been reported this summer. He added that WNV cases expected to increase in coming weeks and months due to warmer summer weather and the mosquitoes that spread the virus are native to Europe.
“The transmission season is well underway,” the ECDC stated. By the end of July, locally acquired human cases had 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 notified its first case in August.
Five people have dead in Greece, two in Italy and one in Spain. The last week, Greek health authorities issued a virus warningindicating that more cases are expected to appear and that people should take protective measures to prevent infection, such as reducing time spent outdoors in affected areas.
Use mosquito repellent and cover up
Last year, nine countries in the European Union declared a total of 709 cases67 of them fatal. This is down from the 1,116 cases reported in 2022, although more regions were affected by the spread of the virus in 2023 than in any other year since 2018.
“At European level, the total number of cases reported so far this year is within expectations, although the number of cases in Greece and Spain is higher than in previous years“said the ECDC.
The investigation published in the journal ‘Nature Communications‘ indicates that a combination of climate change and higher population density makes people run today more risk of exposure to VNO than in the past.
How to avoid becoming infected with West Nile Virus?
The virus is most common in birds, but people and other animals can also become infected through mosquito bites. People can avoid the virus by using repellent of mosquitoes, wearing clothing that covers most of the body and sleeping in air-conditioned rooms or mosquito nets, says the ECDC.
Although most West Nile virus infections do not cause symptomsabout 20% can cause West Nile fever, which can cause headache, fever, vomiting, fatigue and general malaise, according to the ECDC. Less than 1% of infections cause serious illness affecting the nervous system.
