West Nile Virus Alert: Germany Braces for Increased Activity
A woman in Saxony, Germany, has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) - the first case in the country this year. The news comes from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin. By August 23rd, at least four more cases have emerged, all linked to overseas travel.
Specialist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) in Hamburg revealed that the WNV infection was detected in an analysis of a blood donation sample.
Rising Infections
With three more WNV cases emerging, it's evident that West Nile activity is on the rise. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) has documented a total of 18 cases in birds and 14 in horses by August 23rd. This has significant repercussions for the regions of Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony.
Schmidt-Chanasit also highlighted a spike in suspicious samples sent by blood donors. However, these tests can also respond to the Usutu virus, which is causing a significant die-off of starlings in Germany. People can be infected with Usutu, but severe illness is uncommon.
Testing Challenges
"Distinguishing between both viruses based on sequence analyses is laborious and does not always succeed," explained the virus expert. This means that there could already be a substantial number of unconfirmed infections due to delays in confirming results.
In the majority of WNV infections, there are no symptoms. In about 20%, there are mild, non-specific symptoms such as fever or skin rash. However, severe and fatal outcomes mainly affect older individuals with pre-existing conditions, with only approximately 1% of infections resulting in neuroinvasive diseases.
Urban Spread Concerns
An increase in human cases is anticipated if the virus starts spreading in the densely populated Rhine-Main area. As of now, mosquitoes in this area are likely free of the pathogen, but this could change.
Last year, WNV was responsible for 7 cases of local transmission in Germany, and 17 instances the year before. This year, we may see even more cases. Experts predict increased WNV activity in the coming years largely due to climate change.
WNV originated in Africa and made its European debut in the early 1960s in France. In 2019, RKI recorded the first human cases attributed to local mosquito transmission in Germany.
As the WNV activity in Germany steadily increases, especially in certain regions, it's crucial to stay informed and take precautions to minimize the risk of infection.
*Remember, this virus can impact birds and horses as well. Keep an eye on any unusual signs in your pets, and protect your health by taking necessary preventive measures.
Additional Notes:
- The West Nile Virus activity is not limited to Germany; it's been trending with increasing detection and risk in various regions of Europe, particularly in the south and east.
- Some areas in Germany that are of specific concern include Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony due to overlapping risk zones for Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) and historical WNV detections in these regions.
- In 2024, there were approximately twice as many cases of TBE in Germany (686) compared to the annual median (352), indicating the ongoing risk of arbovirus infections such as WNV in various regions of Germany.
- The action taken by the European Parliament in providing resources to combat the spread of WNV appears to be important in this context.
