Further human cases of West Nile fever have been reported for the EU and its neighbourhood over the past week.
Four further cases have been reported in the outskirts of Athens, Greece by the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) in the past week. This was not unexpected given that cases were reported last week and that the West Nile fever season has just begun. The Russian health authorities have also reported two probable cases of West Nile fever in Volgograd Oblast, which lies adjacent to Astrakhan Oblast which reported cases last week.
Four cases have also been reported in Israel and one in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
In 2011, 130 probable and confirmed autochthonous cases of WNV infection were reported in the EU, including 69 confirmed and 31 probable cases from Greece, and 207 in neighbouring countries.
Every Friday ECDC publishes on its website the West Nile fever maps, the information being based on cases reported up to the Thursday of each week.
With the West Nile fever maps, ECDC aims to inform the competent authorities responsible for blood safety of areas with ongoing transmission of West Nile virus to humans in order to support their implementation of blood safety legislation.
Read more:
Understanding the maps Historical data for West Nile fever EU case definition for West Nile feverRisk assessment: Epidemiological situation of West Nile virus infection in the European Union - Update, 13 July 2012Epidemiological update: End of West Nile virus transmission season in EuropeECDC factsheet on West Nile