No new cases of West Nile fever in the past week; death toll remains at ten

From September 30 to October 6, no new cases of West Nile fever were identified in Macedonia, and there were no further deaths. According to the weekly report by the Institute of Public Health (IPH), two patients completed their hospital treatment and were discharged.

From the beginning of 2026 through October 6, 71 cases have been recorded in the country: 66 confirmed and five probable. The disease has claimed the lives of 10 patients, all men aged between 62 and 83. Nine were from Skopje and one from Kumanovo. All had been hospitalized, while nine of those who died had underlying conditions.

Of the 69 patients hospitalized with the neuroinvasive form of the disease, 56 have been discharged and three continue to receive treatment. The average hospital stay for discharged patients and those who died was 15 days.

The Skopje region has the highest number of cases, with 63 patients. Three cases have been recorded in Veles and the surrounding area, two in Kavadar and the surrounding area, while Kumanovo, Sveti Nikole and Tetovo have one case each.

Of all the patients, 52 are men and 19 are women.

The IPH notes that this year the number of people affected has increased significantly compared with previous years./Telegrafi/