🦟 The Flanders Region Health Department reported on Thursday the deaths of two people infected with the West Nile virus. They were the two highest-risk cases among the 14 confirmed infections in Belgium.

⚠️ “Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise. We knew the virus had been circulating locally in Flanders over the past few months and that 1% of those infected could develop a severe form of the disease,” said the agency’s spokesperson.


🩺 Health authorities did not provide further details about the deceased for confidentiality reasons. West Nile virus is an arbovirus of sub-Saharan origin transmitted primarily by mosquitoes and can cause neurological damage in humans.

🇳🇱 The situation has put Central Europe on alert, where the Netherlands has recorded a steady increase in deaths due to the virus’s circulation since August.