Chief medical officer: No danger of West Nile virus epidemic in Hungary

Hungary is not in danger of succumbing to an epidemic of West Nile virus, the chief medical officer said on Thursday.

As we wrote yesterday, 16 people were infected in Hungary between August 10 and 16 which was the highest number in the EU. The altogether number of cases is 41: Greece reported 15, Romania 8 while Croatia 2 cases. From the neighboring states of the EU 24 cases were reported, all from Serbia. Read more HERE.

Reports of the illness primarily involved people in a chronic state of health, with a weakened immune system, Attila Kovács said.

West Nile virus has been present in Hungary for 50 years and there are usually 10-40 cases reported each year.

Last year there were 23 registered cases, he said, adding that this year’s increase was due to an early start to the season.

By August 23, a total of 58 cases were reported and 55 had to be treated in hospital. In the case of four deaths, West Nile virus may have played a part.

They all involved men suffering from a chronic illness and three of them were above 80 years old, he said.

Source: MTI