West Nile is rising in Europe. Here's the mosquito-bite plan if you're traveling.
WHO says West Nile cases are rising in parts of Europe, but risk remains low for most people. Here is how to prevent mosquito bites while traveling and recognize symptoms that need prompt care.
The short version
A July 24 WHO Europe update says West Nile virus cases are rising in parts of Europe, with the sharpest recent increase in Greece. For most people, the overall risk is still low. If you are traveling to an affected area, the useful move is not panic or trip cancellation by default. It is taking mosquito bites seriously, especially around dawn and dusk, and knowing which symptoms need prompt care. 1
What changed
Greece had 21 confirmed human cases as of July 22, according to the WHO update. Twenty of those patients developed neuroinvasive disease, meaning the infection affected the brain or spinal cord, and 13 were still hospitalized. Italy had 21 cases across 17 separate areas as of July 15. North Macedonia, Romania, and Spain had also reported locally acquired cases. 1
Those numbers deserve context. They are counts from specific countries and dates, not a prediction that every traveler is likely to get sick. The WHO says the transmission season is just getting started and that risk remains low for most people. In Europe, the usual season runs from late spring through autumn, with transmission often highest from July through September. 1
How it spreads
West Nile is mainly a mosquito-bite problem. Mosquitoes pick up the virus from infected birds and can pass it to people when they bite. You do not catch it from someone coughing, touching you, or sharing a meal. Everyday person-to-person spread has not been recorded. Rare transmission through blood transfusion, organ transplant, pregnancy, or breastfeeding has been documented, but those are not the usual travel scenario. 2
There is no licensed human vaccine and no specific antiviral treatment for West Nile. That makes bite prevention the main thing you can control. 1
The travel plan that actually matters
You do not need to turn a summer trip into a bunker routine. Focus on the hours and places where exposure is more likely:
- Use an EPA-registered mosquito repellent and follow the label. 3
- Cover more skin around dusk and dawn. Loose long sleeves, long pants, and socks are more useful than relying on a single spray application. The mosquitoes that spread West Nile are most active during these hours. 3
- Make your room harder for mosquitoes to enter. Use air conditioning or intact window and door screens when available. If you are sleeping somewhere without good screens, a mosquito net is a reasonable extra layer. 1
- Reduce standing water around your lodging. Empty cups, buckets, plant saucers, and other containers that can hold water. 3
A bite itself is not a diagnosis. It is a reason to pay attention to how you feel over the next couple of weeks, particularly if you have been in an area where West Nile is circulating.
What symptoms mean "watch" versus "get help"
About 80% of people infected with West Nile do not develop symptoms. Around 20% develop a flu-like illness that can include fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash. Symptoms commonly begin 2 to 6 days after an infected mosquito bite, but the window can be 2 to 14 days. Fatigue and weakness can last longer than the initial illness. 4
The symptoms that should change your plan are the neurologic ones: high fever with a stiff neck, confusion, tremors, muscle weakness, numbness, paralysis, seizures, or loss of consciousness. Those can signal severe disease affecting the central nervous system and need urgent medical care. If symptoms start after you return from a place where West Nile is circulating, tell the clinician about the travel and the timing. 14
Bottom line
The current European update is a reason to improve mosquito habits, not a reason to assume a trip is dangerous. If you are headed to parts of Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Romania, or Spain where local transmission is being reported, make repellent, covered skin, and screened sleeping spaces part of the plan. Then use the symptom list as your decision point: ordinary fatigue or a mild fever deserves attention, while neurologic symptoms deserve urgent care.
References
- 1
- 2
- 3Preventing West Nile
cdc.gov
- 4Symptoms of West Nile
cdc.gov
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