Six verified instances of West Nile virus have been identified in Germany.
This year, at least six individuals in Germany have contracted the West Nile virus through the bites of local mosquitoes, as reported by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) up until September 19. The locations of these infections include Saxony (with two cases), Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, and Lower Saxony. Moreover, five additional cases have been identified that are linked to travel to other countries.
Virlogger Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) in Hamburg predicts that there will be more cases, even though the summer has passed. He notes that while the examination of suspicious samples is laborious due to low viral loads, more are being identified. The mosquitoes remain active for a few more weeks, even during the autumn season, according to Schmidt-Chanasit. However, he emphasizes that the West Nile season is drawing to a close. Last year, the RKI documented 7 cases of West Nile infection transmitted by local mosquitoes, while the year before that, there were 17.
A considerable number of unreported cases of West Nile virus exist, as about 80% of individuals experience no symptoms during an infection. Additionally, around 20% exhibit mild, non-specific symptoms such as fever or skin rash, which often go unnoticed.
Horses vaccination is highly recommended
Severe or fatal cases of West Nile fever typically affect older individuals with pre-existing conditions. Roughly 1% of infections result in such severe neuroinvasive diseases. The virus is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites between wild birds, but infected mosquitoes can also pass the virus on to humans and various mammals, like horses.
As of September 19, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) has reported 51 instances of West Nile virus in birds and 85 in horses. The regions most impacted are Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. The warm and humid climate, in addition to an increase in biting mosquitoes, has led to more reported cases in other states as well.
Currently, there is an uptick in horses experiencing severe cases in eastern and south-eastern Lower Saxony. As a result, the FLI strongly recommends vaccination for horses in these areas or even those briefly transported there.
Despite the declining West Nile season, infectious diseases like the West Nile virus pose a persistent threat, especially to older individuals with pre-existing conditions. Infectious diseases, such as the West Nile virus, can also affect horses, as shown by the 85 reported cases in horses across several regions in Germany.
