Eleven infections

First cases of West Nile fever in Austria

The first cases of West Nile fever have been reported in Austria.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The first cases of West Nile fever have occurred in Austria. According to the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), eleven human infections had been confirmed as of August 27. So far, only adults in the east of the country have been affected, according to the AGES radar for infectious diseases.

Six cases were identified during routine testing of donated blood from blood donors. Some cases were diagnosed due to neurological symptoms and treated as inpatients. Two cases were imported from abroad.

Birds are the "main hosts" of the pathogen
West Nile fever is transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Culex. The pathogen normally circulates between blood-sucking mosquitoes and birds, which are its "main hosts". However, humans and other mammals, especially horses, can also contract the disease, explains AGES: "However, they represent a dead end for the virus."

West Nile fever (pictured: images of the virus) is transmitted by mosquitoes (mosquitoes of the genus Culex).

(Bild: Westlight - stock.adobe.com)

The virus can no longer get into mosquitoes from humans and horses and therefore cannot be transmitted to other humans or horses. It is increasingly spreading in Europe, especially in urban areas and where intensive agriculture is practiced, researchers report. "However, the risk of contracting West Nile fever in Austria is still low," says AGES.

Infections mostly asymptomatic
According to the Ministry of Health, 80 percent of infections are asymptomatic, while 20 percent of those infected develop a flu-like illness with a sudden, high fever, muscle aches and headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms, possibly cold symptoms, skin spots and swelling of the lymph nodes. There is no approved vaccine for humans, but there is for horses.

As part of a monitoring program carried out by AGES, mosquito traps were set up throughout Austria and also specifically in the gardens of some of the cases. The virus has not yet been detected in the several thousand mosquitoes caught and tested for the virus this year.

Three cases confirmed in Slovenia
Three human West Nile virus infections have also been confirmed in neighboring Slovenia, the Slovenian National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) announced. All three cases were reported in the north-east of the country, it said. These are the first confirmed cases this year; the last time five infections with the virus were recorded was in 2018