West Nile Virus: 19 Cases in Romania, Two Deaths in Elderly Patients with Comorbidities

The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) has announced that between 3 June and 12 August 2026, Romania recorded 19 cases of West Nile virus infection, transmitted through mosquito bites. Of these, 11 were confirmed by laboratory analysis, whilst 8 are considered probable cases.

According to the report from the National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases (CNSCBT), part of the INSP, two elderly individuals who had pre-existing medical conditions (comorbidities) died as a result of the infection.

Who are the people affected

Cases were distributed across age groups as follows:

• 15–19 years: 1 case
• 20–29 years: 2 cases
• 30–39 years: 2 cases
• 40–49 years: 1 case
• 50–59 years: 3 cases
• 60–69 years: 3 cases
• 70–79 years: 4 cases
• 80 years and over: 3 cases

Of the 19 infected individuals in total, 10 are women, and 13 live in urban areas.

Geographical distribution

Bucureşti accounts for the highest number of cases, with 6 reported. A further 2 cases were recorded in Suceava county, along with one case each in the counties of Argeş, Bihor, Botoşani, Cluj, Ialomiţa, Iaşi, Giurgiu, Mureş, Satu Mare, and Vaslui. Regarding the case reported in Harghita county, specialists note that exposure to the virus occurred abroad, though the case is counted under the patient's county of residence.

How to protect yourself from mosquito bites

Specialists recommend several simple measures to reduce the risk of exposure to mosquitoes, the primary vectors of the virus:

• wearing long-sleeved clothing and long trousers;
• using mosquito repellent products;
• using insecticides inside and around the home;
• fitting protective screens on windows to prevent mosquitoes from entering the house;
• draining standing water from puddles in the garden or around the property;
• removing containers of stagnant water and household waste, where mosquitoes can breed.

These measures are all the more important for elderly people and those with existing health conditions, given that both deaths reported to date occurred within precisely this group.