Malaria and West Nile Fever Appear in North Macedonia

Infections of tropical origin have arrived in North Macedonia through citizens who have traveled to destinations like the Maldives and Zanzibar. Currently, eight people are recorded as affected by the West Nile virus, four cases of malaria, three of dengue fever, and one infected with the Zika virus.

After a two-year pause with no identified cases, malaria has reappeared with four patients, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health. Minister Sasho Klekovski emphasized the danger these diseases pose to public health.

Klekovski warned of the serious consequences of these viruses. He explained that Zika poses a particular risk to pregnant women, while dengue can cause hemorrhagic fever. For malaria, he stressed that its severe forms can be fatal. The minister called on travelers heading to Africa and the Indian Ocean, especially Zanzibar and the Maldives, to follow the World Health Organization’s guidelines on vaccination. He insisted that even though the number of affected people is low, it is essential for citizens to take preventive measures and inform their family doctors or infectious disease specialists about their travel history to these African and Indian Ocean regions.

Of the eight West Nile cases, two date from June, while the other six were recently diagnosed. One of the infections is suspected to have been contracted during a trip to Greece, while the rest of the cases are thought to have been transmitted within the country’s borders. The person believed to have imported the disease is around 40 years old, while the other patients belong to the 60 to 70 age group. All cases are located in the regions of Skopje and Veles.

Minister Klekovski added that in seven of the cases, full epidemiological measures were taken, including disinfection within a radius of 200 meters around the affected persons’ homes, as per standard protocol. One affected individual refused the intervention of disinfection teams.