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West Nile virus outbreak in Europe

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-28 04:40 UTC → 2026-09-28 07:50 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Europe is experiencing a significant rise in West Nile virus cases during the 2026 transmission season. As of ~~early~~ late September, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported ~~1,285~~ over 1,500 locally acquired ~~human cases across 15 countries. Italy has recorded the highest number of~~ infections with 590 cases, followed by Greece with 319 and Spain with 104. In Greece, the annual case count reached a record 324, resulting in 30 deaths. By mid-September, the situation in Italy intensified. The Istituto Superiore di Sanità reported 657 confirmed cases and 51 deaths nationwide. In the Tuscany region, the death of an 89-year-old man, Velio Giuggioli, from severe encephalitis marked the first fatality from the virus in that area. Giuggioli, a former city councilor, contracted the virus in the Marina di Grosseto area. Local health authorities, Asl Toscana sud est, have identified five autochthonous cases in the province of Grosseto, part of 17 total cases in the health authority's territory this summer. In response, the municipality has initiated extraordinary disinfection measures, including larvicidal and adulticidal treatments. By September 28, ECDC data indicated that Europe has recorded 1,569 locally acquired cases, a figure that surpasses across the continent, surpassing totals ~~reported in~~ from 2022, 2024, and 2025. Italy remains the most heavily impacted nation with approximately 696 cases, with infections spread widely around Rome, Padua, and Milan. In Greece, the situation has intensified. The National Public Health Organization (EODY) recorded 396 locally acquired cases as of September 24, resulting in 36 deaths. All recorded fatalities in Greece ~~follows~~ occurred in patients over the age of 60, with ~~355 cases.~~ a median age of 83. Furthermore, 255 Greek patients experienced central nervous system complications, such as encephalitis or meningitis. EODY has classified 17 Greek municipalities as high-risk areas, including four in Crete: Rethymno, Archanes-Asterousia, Heraklion, and Hersonissos. Authorities continue to urge mosquito protection measures to mitigate transmission. Other significant case counts include Spain (125), France (102), Romania (91), North Macedonia (69), Serbia (46), and the Netherlands (28). Germany has also reported ~~four~~ cases in Berlin, Leipzig, and the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis. ~~As of September 3, 61 deaths had been reported, with 49 occurring in Italy and Greece.~~ While current numbers exceed recent years, the historical record remains 2,083 cases in 2018.

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