The German magazine “Der Spiegel”, citing data provided by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), revealed that the number of people who contracted West Nile fever in Germany this year has doubled what it was in 2021. And the number of infections recorded in Germany since the end of August has risen to ten, according to “RKI”.
A spokeswoman for the agency told “Der Spiegel” that at least eight of them have been confirmed to have contracted the infection inside Germany. At least four states have been affected by the outbreak, including the capital Berlin, the states of East Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, as well as North Rhine-Westphalia in the west, the institute said, reports a local Arabic daily.
The website “Russia Today” quoted the German magazine that while the number of cases doubled compared to 2021, it is less than it was in 2020, when a total of 30 cases were recorded. The infection was discovered in Germans who had not traveled abroad for the first time in 2019.
The website noted that the institute documented transmission of the virus between birds and mosquitoes in Germany in 2018. It is now believed that the pathogen can hibernate in mosquitoes in Germany. The fever is usually asymptomatic, which means that most cases go unreported, according to the RKI.
One in five people develops flu-like symptoms, including headache or fever, as well as vomiting or a rash.
However, 1 in 100 can develop a serious illness, because the disease can cause encephalitis, such as meningitis, and can lead to seizures.
The risk of death among critically ill patients is about 10 percent, and recovery can take weeks or even months. Older adults and people with chronic diseases are especially at risk of developing serious infections.
According to the European Health Agency (ECDC), a total of 950 cases of West Nile fever have been reported across the bloc this year, with 82 deaths linked to the infection.
Southern European countries appear to be disproportionately affected. Italy alone has recorded more than 570 cases, with another 280 reported in Greece.
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