Health
West Nile Virus Hits Europe: Italy Most Affected, with Cases in Greece and Spain
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports nearly 1,600 locally acquired West Nile virus cases across sixteen European countries since spring, with Italy recording 696 infections, followed by Greece with 355 and Spain with 125. In the Netherlands, 44 cases have been confirmed, resulting in five deaths, all transmitted by mosquito bites within the country. The virus, carried by house mosquitoes from birds to humans and other mammals, causes symptoms ranging from none to flu-like illness, with only one percent of infected individuals becoming seriously ill. Historical data shows varying case loads annually, with 2018 seeing the highest total of 2,083 infections in Europe.
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