The spread of the West Nile virus in Europe has reached record levels. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control outlines the current status of the disease in a report, adding Cyprus to the list of 15 affected countries.
Cyprus has reported 21 human cases of the virus and two outbreaks of the disease in equines so far.
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As of November 4, confirmed cases exceeded 1,800—the highest number reported to date—since during the corresponding period of the previous decade, the average number of cases was 698. At the same time, the ECDC notes that the virus has been detected in at least 211 new areas across 15 countries.
Mortality
Despite the rapid increase in cases, the ECDC remains reassuring, as there are no indications that the disease has become more severe compared to previous years. With the average mortality rate standing at nearly 8%, the total number of reported deaths is 148.
Italy, the country with the highest number of cases, has reported at least 60 deaths due to the virus.
Greece also has one of the highest numbers, with 469 cases, followed by France with 191 cases.
According to the ECDC, these countries have broken all previous records in terms of the number of cases reported in recent years. It is interesting to note, however, that Belgium reported domestic human infections for the first time, with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control noting that the virus’s circulation this year has expanded to regions of northern Europe.
Watch the report by Nasia Ioannou:
