West Nile virus transmission season 2018: Increase in casesArchived

2018 transmission season: human cases exceed the total number in previous seven years

In the 2018 transmission season a higher number of cases were reported compared with transmission seasons in previous years. The total number of reported autochthonous infections in 2018 (n= 2 083) exceeds, by far, the total number from the previous seven years (n= 1 832).Compared to the previous transmission season in 2017, there was a 7.2-fold increase. The highest increase compared to the previous transmission season was observed in Bulgaria (15-fold) followed by France (13.5-fold) and Italy (10.9).

The last case of this transmission season in the EU was reported by France at the end of November. As no new cases with disease onset in the previous four weeks have been reported, this is the final weekly update for the 2018 transmission season. Read epidemiological update for West Nile virus transmission season in Europe, 2018

Last updated: 14 December 2018

Number of WNV infections in EU/EEA and EU enlargement countries by epidemiological week of notification*, 2014-2018.
Number of WNV infections in EU/EEA and EU enlargement countries by epidemiological week of notification, 2014-2018.
1 503 cases
reported in 11 EU countries
181 deaths
in EU countries, up to 14 December
7.2-fold increase
in cases compared to the 2017 season