West Nile Virus in Vojvodina: How to Protect Yourself

Do three cases in a single week mean you should be alarmed? No. They mean the season has begun, and mosquito precautions make sense starting today, especially for older household members and people with chronic illnesses.

The Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina has confirmed that the province has registered its first three cases of West Nile virus this season. The figure was announced by Snezana Medic, an epidemiology specialist at the institute, on August 16, 2026. Earlier this summer we reported on the virus being found in a mosquito in Cukarica, and these are the first confirmed human cases in Vojvodina.

What happens to those infected

For most people, nothing happens. That is the first point epidemiologists keep repeating.

In most cases, the infection passes without symptoms, and in about 80 percent of those infected, the bite of an infected mosquito will not cause any illness at all.

In other words, four out of five infected people never even find out they came into contact with the virus. The rest develop something that resembles a typical summer viral bug.

In roughly one-fifth of cases, symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, rash and muscle pain appear, and these mostly resolve without the need for serious treatment.

Both statements were made by Snezana Medic.

A smaller number of patients develop a more severe form of the disease: headache, vomiting, drowsiness, altered mental state, paralysis and seizures. These patients end up in hospital treatment. That is why the line is drawn at neurological symptoms, not at a fever.

Does the infection spread from person to person?

No. The virus’s natural reservoir is birds, mosquitoes carry it to humans, and an infected person is not contagious to those around them. There is no need for isolation, no restriction on visiting a sick family member, and no risk from sharing a meal.

West Nile virus cases have been recorded in Serbia since 2012, and the only season without a single registered case was 2020.

Practical steps for protection

There is no vaccine for humans, so it all comes down to not getting bitten. Our advice is to start with your own yard, since a breeding site can form there without any marsh nearby.

• Empty containers with standing water around the house: buckets, flowerpot saucers, kiddie pools, gutters, old tires. Water sitting for a few days is enough.
• Install mosquito screens on windows, not just the bedroom. A kitchen window left open in the evening is the most common gap.
• Use repellent on exposed skin before heading out to the garden or the terrace.
• Avoid spending time outdoors at dusk and dawn, especially near standing water, marshland and woods, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Pay extra attention to older household members and people with chronic conditions, since severe cases occur more often among them.

Why the season is getting longer

The calendar is shifting, and that affects the years ahead, not just this August.

With global warming, we believe these diseases will be present here every year. It is possible that the season will become longer, with cases appearing earlier in summer and continuing into autumn.

As the season stretches out, habits change with it. Repellent and window screens stop being a July and August thing and become gear that stays ready from the start of summer until the first cool days.