First locally acquired West Nile case identified in France's Pyrénées-Orientales

In mid‑July 2026, Santé publique France confirmed the first locally acquired human infection with West Nile virus in the country, detected in the Pyrénées‑Orientales department of the Occitanie region. The case marks the first autochthonous West Nile virus detection in France for 2026.

West Nile virus is an arbovirus transmitted to humans primarily by Culex mosquitoes that feed on infected birds. While about 80 % of infections are asymptomatic, roughly 20 % can cause severe neurological complications such as meningitis, encephalitis or Guillain‑Barré syndrome, especially in older individuals. France recorded 62 autochthonous West Nile infections in 2025 across 17 departments, but no locally transmitted chikungunya, dengue or Zika cases in the same period. No specific vaccine or antiviral treatment exists; care is supportive.

The health authority highlighted the need for continued surveillance of arboviral diseases as mosquito activity rises.