2023-06-22 12:13:00
Italy has been the hardest hit. 725 people have been infected in the country. Of them, 723 contracted the virus in their own country. Most infections are in the north of the country. A total of 286 people tested positive in Greece and 226 people in Serbia. This is followed by Romania (47), Germany (17) and Hungary (14). The West Nile virus has also emerged in France, Spain, Austria, Finland, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and North Macedonia.
The West Nile virus comes from birds and can be transmitted to humans via mosquitoes. If people become infected, they can develop flu-like symptoms. In a few cases, infection can also lead to encephalitis, meningitis or a form of polio. People with these symptoms have a small chance of dying.
In 2020, a few people from Utrecht and the surrounding area contracted the West Nile virus through local mosquito bites. These are the most recent cases in the Netherlands.
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