EU Logs Record 1,715 West Nile Cases and 130 Deaths; Belgium Reports First Local Infections

Europe has just finished its biggest West Nile virus season on record.

As of Oct. 7, EU countries had reported 1,715 locally acquired human cases, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in an Oct. 15 release. Thirteen EU and EEA countries are in that count. The previous decade's average was 693 cases a year, according to the joint ECDC and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report.

A total of 130 people in the EU have died this season.

The numbers, country by country

Italy is still the hardest hit, with 748 cases. Greece reported 445 and France 144. Both are their highest human tallies ever, the ECDC said.

The wider European picture is bigger. The joint ECDC/EFSA report counts 1,855 infections and 141 deaths across 18 European countries as of early October.

Animals were hit too. Fifteen countries reported 511 outbreaks among horses and other equids and 595 among birds. "In 2026, WNV has reached record levels in Europe, with the number of human cases and animal outbreaks surpassing historical records," Giusi Amore, a scientific officer in EFSA's biological hazards unit, told Reuters.

Spread north

Belgium reported 15 human cases. They are the first locally acquired human West Nile infections ever recorded in the country, according to the ECDC. The Netherlands reported 59 human cases.

The ECDC says detections in people and animals in both countries show the virus "is now circulating further north, a trend that is expected to continue in the coming years."

The mosquito biology is well understood. The virus replicates faster inside mosquitoes as temperatures climb above 20°C. It cycles between mosquitoes and birds, and spills over into people and horses.

Croatia's season

Croatia's public health institute, HZJZ, issued a final seasonal update on Oct. 29. It confirmed 25 human infections and one death. Croatia recorded six cases in all of 2025.

Of the 25, 19 people had symptoms. Seventeen of those developed neuroinvasive disease, the serious form that can cause meningitis, encephalitis or acute flaccid paralysis. Two had the milder West Nile fever. Six infections showed no symptoms and were found through routine screening.

Zagreb accounted for 15 of the 25 cases. In late August, the Croatian Veterinary Institute found the virus in dead crows collected in Zagreb neighborhoods including Zapruđe, Kvaternikov trg and Dubrava. That was weeks before human cases peaked.

Record counts, not record severity

The headline number is a record. The severity numbers are not. The ECDC says there is "currently no indication of increased severity this year." The shares of reported cases that were hospitalized, developed neurological symptoms or died are below levels seen over the previous decade, the agency said.

That means more people got infected, not that the virus got deadlier. Most infections cause no symptoms or a mild flu-like illness. Mild cases often go untested, so the confirmed counts are likely a floor rather than a full tally of infections.

Ole Heuer, head of unit at the ECDC, said the virus "varies considerably from year to year and is difficult to predict." His advice: "Earlier detection, greater awareness and effective mosquito control can help us reduce the impact of the virus as it spreads to new areas."

Céline Gossner, a senior ECDC expert, said public health, veterinary and environmental authorities have to work together because "no single sector can address the risk alone."

What people can do

There is no licensed human vaccine. Treatment is limited to managing symptoms, with hospital supportive care for severe cases.

The ECDC recommends mosquito repellent, loose-fitting long clothing in the evening and at night, and window screens, nets or air conditioning. Older adults and people with weak immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness.

What comes next

The ECDC says conditions for transmission are getting less favorable as summer ends. Transmission may continue at a lower level in coming weeks, and additional cases may still be reported.

The counts above are as of Oct. 7, so the final 2026 totals will come in higher. Whether Belgium and the Netherlands see repeat transmission next summer is unknown. The ECDC expects the northward trend to continue.