West Nile virus kills 1 in Serbia

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - A person has died of the West Nile virus in Serbia, the country’s Institute for Public Health said on Tuesday.

A total of 45 people have so far tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday, the institute said.

About 80% of people who were infected had no symptoms, while 20% of them had flu-like symptoms such as high fever, headache, weakness and vomiting, it said.

The West Nile virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.

In order to reduce the risk of infection with the West Nile virus, it is recommended to apply personal protection measures against mosquito bites.

The infection was officially registered for the first time in Serbia at the end of July 2012.

In the period from 2012 to 2021, a total of 1,050 cases of West Nile virus were registered on the territory of Serbia, the institute said, adding that there were 101 deaths caused by it.