West Nile virus in Europe (Update 1)
17 Aug 2022
From the beginning of the summer 2022 transmission season to 10 August 2022, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported 188 cases of West Nile fever in European countries.
These cases have been reported from Italy (144, including 10 deaths), Serbia (34, including 3 deaths) Greece (39), Austria (2), Romania (2) and Slovakia (1).
West Nile fever is caused by West Nile virus (WNV). The 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 experiencing an outbreak of WNV, you should:
- practice mosquito bite avoidance measures both day and night
- 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.