The West Nile virus has been detected in Belgium's Willebroek-Mechelen region after recent tests confirmed infections in birds and a horse, prompting authorities to alert local hospitals and physicians to consider the disease when evaluating unexplained symptoms. The finding follows a separate equine case in Wallonia earlier this month, marking the virus's arrival in the country.
In North Macedonia, five people have died from West Nile virus among 43 confirmed infections, after authorities declared an epidemic in and around Skopje in early August. Serbia has recorded six cases, all involving the neuroinvasive form of the disease. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says 12 European countries have now reported locally transmitted infections this year, with Italy and Greece bearing the heaviest toll. The virus has appeared for the first time in 21 European regions.
No approved human vaccine exists, according to the World Health Organization.