Eight people have died of West Nile virus so far this year in Europe, the region’s disease agency said Monday, with case numbers highest in the South.
The virus, which is spread by mosquito bites, can cause West Nile fever with symptoms including headaches, malaise, fever, vomiting and fatigue.
Around 80 percent of people infected with the virus have no symptoms, while less than 1 percent of infections can cause severe disease that affects the nervous system.
Advertisement
Five people have died of the virus in Greece, two in Italy and one in Spain, according to the figures released Monday from the European Center of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which says the numbers are correct as of July 31.
