West Nile virus outbreaks reported in Greece, Romania, Cyprus, and the US

Multiple regions are reporting significant West Nile virus activity in 2026, with rising case numbers and fatalities across Europe and the United States.

In Greece, the National Public Health Organization has recorded 443 domestic cases and 47 deaths. The Larissa municipality has been identified as a primary hotspot with 45 cases, many of which involved central nervous system complications. High-risk areas have also been designated in several other municipalities across Attica, Thessaly, and Central Macedonia.

Romania's National Institute of Public Health reported 121 cases and 8 deaths since the start of the season, with Bucharest recording the highest concentration of infections. Most cases have occurred in individuals over the age of 50.

In Cyprus, the first death of the year was recorded in a 90-year-old man with comorbidities, following a rapid climb to 10 total cases within two weeks. In the United States, a 13-year-old boy in Long Beach, California, was hospitalized with transverse myelitis, a rare complication involving spinal cord inflammation.

Health officials in all affected regions advise the public to prevent mosquito bites by using repellent, wearing long sleeves, and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed.