19 October 2012 West Nile virus (human): Greece including Corfu
This updates case numbers and new areas of WNV transmission in
Greece during 2012 As of 12 October there were 159 laboratory
confirmed cases of WNV, including 16 deaths, from some
prefectures of Greece; Attica (south suburbs of Athens),
Aitoloakarnania, Evia, Pella, Ialkidiki, Imathia (where
transmission had been recorded in previous years) and from the
island of Samos and the areas of Ahaia, Arta, Corfu, Drama,
Kavala, Lefkada and Xanthi which are areas where WNV
transmission has never previously been reported . Public health
measures to control mosquito vectors are established in Greece
together with enhanced surveillance and reporting procedures [1,
2]. West Nile virus WNV is caused by a flavivirus; the primary
hosts are birds and horses and the virus is transmitted by Culex
spp. mosquitoes. WNV is established in several European and
surrounding countries. A map of reported cases in the European
Union and neighbouring countries in 2012 is avai