Infektionskrankheit: Mehr als 240 Fälle von West-Nil-Fieber in Europa

Since the start of the season, more than 240 West Nile fever infections have been recorded across Europe. A total of 241 cases were registered in seven European countries as of a week ago, without any of the individuals having contracted the virus through travel. According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Italy reported 139 cases, Greece 61, Spain 17, and North Macedonia 13.

Romania reported 6 cases, France 4, and Germany 1, specifically in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis of Rhineland-Palatinate. Germany has recorded a total of 5 cases this year. Twenty percent of the infected individuals develop a flu-like illness. Altogether, 59 regions in Europe have been affected, with Italy, particularly its northern areas, accounting for more than half of these regions, at 36.

The ECDC emphasized that this report does not represent a comprehensive overview of the transmission situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) had recently urged heightened vigilance due to multiple cases of West Nile fever in southern Europe. Around 20 percent of the infected individuals develop a feverish, flu-like illness, with only one in 100 becoming severely ill.

The virus is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes between wild birds, but humans can also be infected by the mosquitoes. West Nile fever typically resolves without complications, although severe patients may experience late sequelae relatively frequently. The virus is treated symptomatically by the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI), with no specific therapy or vaccine available.

The RKI advises symptomatically treating the condition, recommending long-sleeved shirts or blouses and long pants in areas known to have high mosquito populations. Insect repellent, mosquito nets, and window screens are also beneficial. Eliminating mosquito breeding sites, such as small water collections in buckets, urns, and clogged gutters, is also recommended.