West Nile Virus in Europe (Update 2)
09 Sep 2019
Transmission of West Nile virus continues in Europe.
From the beginning of the 2019 transmission season to 5 September 2019, 241 West Nile infections have been reported in EU member states: Greece (156), Romania (25), Cyprus (14), Italy (14), Hungary (11), Bulgaria (4), Austria (1) and France (1).
In EU neighbouring countries, 15 cases have been reported by Serbia (7), North Macedonia (7) and Turkey (7).
Twenty deaths due to West Nile virus infection have been reported by Greece (14), Romania (3), Cyprus (1), Italy (1) and Serbia (1).
Advice for Travellers
There is no vaccine against West Nile virus.
Travellers should practice Mosquito Bite Avoidance at all times, especially during peak transmission times and when outbreaks are known to be occurring. These outbreaks will be listed on the destination pages of fitfortravel. Medical advice can be sought if symptoms develop following travel to a risk area. Note for blood donors: If you have travelled to an area with WNV in the past 4 months you may need to be tested for West Nile virus before donating blood. All travel must be mentioned to the Blood Transfusion Service so that they can determine whether you need to be tested. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service have produced a leaflet which details information about blood donation after travel:
For further information see West Nile Fever.