West Nile virus deaths rise to nine in Netherlands
Four more people in the Netherlands have died from an infection caused by the West Nile virus in recent weeks, the public health institution RIVM said on Thursday, following an increased number of cases in Europe.
The new fatalities increased the total number of people who have died from West Nile virus infection in the Netherlands to nine this year
The first West Nile virus infection contracted in the Netherlands in six years was reported in August
The total number of infections in the country has since risen to 56
The RIVM said the outbreak had likely reached its peak, as the number of new infections has dropped in recent weeks
The virus mostly spreads to people through mosquito bites, and can cause severe illness in about one in 150 people infected, according to the World Health Organisation
The WHO has said warmer temperatures are giving mosquitoes more time and territory to spread the West Nile virus across Europe, which has experienced a record series of heatwaves this year
Cases of West Nile virus have also climbed in Greece and Italy.