Moldova reports 1st West Nile virus case since 2019

BUCHAREST/ATHENS, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) — Moldova’s Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed a recent case of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in a 49-year-old man who had returned from Italy.
The man, who was bitten multiple times by mosquitoes while in Italy from July 26-30, is currently receiving medical care, and his condition is satisfactory.
This marks the first reported case of WNV in Moldova since 2019.
In Romania, a recent report from the National Center for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases recorded 22 WNV cases between June 3 and Aug. 22. Of these, 20 were confirmed, two probable, and one person died from the virus.
Two people infected with the West Nile virus died in Greece in the past week, Greece’s National Public Health Organization (EODY) said on Thursday.
Moreover, 24 new cases were diagnosed, according to a press release by the EODY.
A total of 12 people died this year following complications linked to the mosquito-borne virus, while 100 cases have been recorded nationwide in Greece.
Greek experts advised the public to take precautions against mosquitoes.
This year, as of July 31, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported 69 cases of WNV infection across European countries. ■