West Nile virus-infected person dies in Netherlands

A person who contracted West Nile virus (WNV) locally in the Netherlands has died, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) confirmed on Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

Last week, RIVM reported that a blood donor in the Netherlands had tested positive for WNV, marking the country's first confirmed locally acquired human case since 2020. However, an RIVM spokesperson said the person who died was neither the blood donor nor the patient who received the blood product.

"So far in 2026, three cases of West Nile virus infection have been reported that were probably contracted in the Netherlands," RIVM said.

The virus has also been detected in a horse and a bird in several parts of the country, indicating that WNV is circulating among local mosquito populations.

According to RIVM, West Nile virus naturally occurs among birds. Common mosquitoes can become infected when they feed on the blood of an infected bird. The infected mosquitoes can then transmit the virus to other birds, as well as mammals such as horses and humans. Humans and horses can fall ill with the West Nile virus, but they cannot pass the virus on to others.

"It is still very unlikely for people to contract West Nile fever in the Netherlands," RIVM assured.

The health institute said the disease caused by WNV is known as West Nile fever. Most people infected with the virus develop no symptoms. About 80 percent of infections are asymptomatic, while around 19 percent cause flu-like symptoms. About 1 percent of infected people can develop a more serious illness involving neurological symptoms.