In North Macedonia, four of the 38 people diagnosed with West Nile fever this year have died, with three of them dying in the past week. The North Macedonian Ministry of Health said this on Wednesday, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
Details
According to the World Health Organization, the virus, which is mainly transmitted to humans through mosquito bites, can cause severe, life-threatening illness in approximately one in 150 infected people.
The detection of the virus came amid WHO warnings that rising temperatures are giving mosquitoes more time and territory to spread the virus across Europe, with the number of cases increasing this summer in Greece and Italy.
The ministry's report said that 28 men and 10 women had been infected, 33 of whom were over 60 years old. Twelve cases were detected last week.
According to the report, all the cases, most of which occurred in the region around the capital, Skopje, resulted in hospitalization.
On average, the number of people infected with West Nile virus between 2011 and 2025 was less than one person per week during the peak summer months, when mosquitoes spread, the report said.