West Nile Virus in North Macedonia: Six New Cases Bring Total Number of Infected to 50

Six more cases of West Nile fever were confirmed within one day, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 50. Five patients are from the Skopje region, specifically the municipalities of Gazi Baba, Zelenikovo, and Aerodrom, while the sixth case is the first recorded in Kumanovo.

The infected person from Kumanovo is a 65-year-old man who lives in a peripheral neighborhood. Data from the Kumanovo Center for Public Health show that he had not traveled abroad during the period before his symptoms appeared.

The man is being treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions in Skopje. Heroljind Sakipi, director of the Kumanovo Center for Public Health, announced that the patient is in serious condition, also because of the chronic illnesses he suffers from, including diabetes.

The relevant services conducted an epidemiological survey with the patient’s family members. Disinfection has also been announced for the building where the infected person stayed and the areas where he may have been bitten by an infected mosquito.

Of the five new cases in the Skopje region, three are people over the age of 70 from the municipality of Gazi Baba. The other two patients are a 26-year-old from Zelenikovo and a 59-year-old resident of the municipality of Aerodrom.

The increase in infections in the capital and surrounding areas signals active local transmission of the virus through mosquitoes during the summer. Epidemiologists emphasize the importance of personal protective measures, such as using repellents and protective nets, especially for older people and those with chronic illnesses, who face the greatest risk of complications.

Nearly half of all patients diagnosed this summer have been hospitalized at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Skopje after developing the severe neuroinvasive form of the disease. This form of the virus can cause inflammation of the brain and meninges, making intensive hospital treatment necessary.

Official data show that, since the beginning of the season, five people in the country have died from the disease. Health authorities are continuing to monitor the epidemiological situation and are urging citizens to seek medical help promptly if they develop flu-like symptoms accompanied by neurological signs.