West Nile Virus in Serbia: Cases Nearly Double in a Week
The Batut Institute released a new update: West Nile fever cases in Serbia jumped from six to eleven in just a week. Here's what to do to protect yourself.
Noticed more talk about West Nile fever this week? It’s not a coincidence. The Institute of Public Health of Serbia, Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut (the Batut Institute), released a new epidemiological update on August 24, and the case count has nearly doubled in just seven days.
Since the surveillance season began on June 1, Serbia has recorded a total of 11 cases of West Nile fever. A week earlier, the report from August 17 listed six confirmed cases, five fewer than now. Espreso says its figures run through August 23, while N1 cites Institute data through August 24, but both sources agree on the total of 11.
How many people are affected, and where
The Institute has broken the cases down across six districts:
- Central Banat District: three cases
- City of Belgrade: two cases
- South Banat District: two cases
- South Backa District: two cases
- Sumadija District: one case
- West Backa District: one case
Seven of those affected are men and four are women. What stands out most is the average age: it now stands at 66.2, up from 64 a week earlier, when there were only six cases. Of all 11 patients, 10 have developed the neuroinvasive form of the disease, meaning the nervous system is affected. That alone is reason enough to pay attention, especially if you have an older relative at home.
The season’s first two cases were registered on August 6 in Belgrade, in patients aged 75 and 82. Both were hospitalized at the Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Belgrade. Before that date, no case had been reported this year, later than in previous seasons.
“The season for this virus in Serbia typically runs from June to November,” the Batut Institute states in its report on the epidemiological situation.
How to protect yourself
The virus spreads through infected mosquitoes, and the Institute recommends a few simple, practical steps:
- apply repellent to all exposed skin
- wear long sleeves and pants outdoors, preferably in light colors
- avoid being outside at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active
This isn’t just a local concern. By mid-August, European Union countries and the region had reported 426 locally acquired cases of West Nile fever. Our advice is simple: with mosquito season in full swing, keep repellent on hand the way you’d keep an umbrella close, especially if you’re heading out at dusk or dawn.
