What is West Nile virus and should travelers in Europe be concerned after recent deaths in Spain?

Concerns are growing over the spread of West Nile virus after two more people died in Seville, Spain, bringing the total number of deaths in the country this year to five.

Travelers and locals are advised to use insect repellent, cover up and avoid breeding grounds such as standing water – especially between dusk and dawn.

In Europe, cases have also been reported this year from Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Serbia. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) confirmed that the infection occurred locally and not during travel to tropical regions.

It comes after Dengue fever Outbreaks in Europe put travelers on high alert in the spring.

What is West Nile virus and what are the symptoms?

West Nile virus (WNV) can cause a fatal neurological disease in humans. It belongs to the group of Japanese encephalitis viruses, along with others such as Dengue fever and yellow fever.

Birds are the natural hosts of WNV, but the virus is usually transmitted by mosquitoes and, in a few cases, by blood transfusions, organ donations or pregnancy.

In about four out of five patients, WNV shows no symptoms, but in the other 20 percent it develops into West Nile fever. Symptoms include sudden high fever, headache, stiff neck and rash on the neck, arms or legs – and in more severe cases, seizures, muscle weakness and paralysis, according to ECDC.

People over 50 – especially if they have pre-existing conditions – are more likely to become seriously ill. Less than one percent of those affected develop neurological infections such as meningitis or encephalitis – and one in ten of these cases is fatal.

Symptoms usually appear two to six days after infection, but may take up to 14 days or longer. In uncomplicated cases, they usually resolve within three to six days.

How to protect yourself from the West Nile virus

There is no vaccine against WNV for humans yet, so the best protection is to avoid mosquito bites.

You can achieve this by not travelling to the affected areas when mosquitoes are more common, such as Summerand reduce time spent outdoors if you are in an affected area.

The virus was first discovered in 1937 in the West Nile district of Uganda, but is now found in countries all over the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Western and Central Asia, North America – and Europe.

Using mosquito repellent, covering arms, legs and feet, and keeping mosquitoes out of the bedroom at night can also help prevent infection.

If you feel unwell – especially if you have a fever – you should contact your doctor and tell him or her where you have recently traveled.

Why are there more cases of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe?

Record high Temperatures and other extreme weather events caused by climate change are leading to an increase in virus outbreaks in Europe.

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“Europe is already seeing how Climate change “It creates more favourable conditions for invasive mosquitoes to spread to previously unaffected areas and infect more people with diseases such as dengue fever,” ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said in June.

“Increasing international travel from countries where dengue is endemic will also increase the risk of imported cases and inevitably the risk of local outbreaks,” she added.

Purchased locally Dengue fever The number of cases in Europe almost doubled between 2022 and 2023, and figures suggest the number could increase even further this year.

Where in Europe are infections most likely?

Dengue-transmitting tiger mosquitoes are now native to 13 European countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.

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The first major outbreak of WNV in Europe occurred in Romania in 1996. Since then, cases have been reported in European countries such as Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, PortugalRomania, Serbia and Spain.

Recently, WNV-transmitting mosquitoes have been detected in towns near the Spanish river Guadalquivir, such as Coria del Rio near Seville, and in various regions of Greece, including Kos, Thessaloniki and Zakynthos, and in Italy, including Bologna, Modena, Salerno and Veniceamong other things.

In 2023, 713 locally transmitted cases were reported in 123 different regions in the EU/EEA – 22 of which were first-time cases. Tragically, 67 deaths were reported.

The case observed in Spain in March this year occurred unusually early, probably due to unseasonably warm weather.

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The ECDC warns that the mosquito that transmits dengue fever Zika virus continues to spread north, east and west in Europe and has recently settled in Cyprus.