West Nile virus in Europe: update 2
09 Oct 2023
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports continuing transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) in European countries.
Since the beginning of 2023 to 4 October 2023, cases have been reported from: Italy (295 cases, including 18 deaths), Greece (153 cases, including 47 deaths), Serbia (84 cases), Romania (68 cases including 9 deaths), France (33 cases), Hungary (28 cases), Spain (11 cases including 1 death), Croatia (6 cases), Germany (4 cases), North Macedonia (1 case) and Cyprus (1 case).
West Nile virus is spread by mosquito bites and can cause a flu-like illness and sometimes, severe disease.
Advice for Travellers
WNV is rare in travellers. There is no vaccine against WNV.
When visiting areas affected by WNV, you should:
- practice mosquito bite avoidance measures at all times
- seek medical advice if you develop a sudden onset of flu-like symptoms with a high temperature (fever) following travel to a risk area
Note for blood donors: if you have recently travelled to an area with WNV transmission, you may need to be tested for WNV before donating blood.
- see the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service website for further details
For further information see the fitfortravel West Nile Fever page.