Autochthonous West Nile virus infection outbreak in humans, Leipzig, Germany, August to September 2020

Following a distinct summer heat wave, nine autochthonous cases of West Nile fever and West Nile neuroinvasive disease, including one fatality, were observed in Leipzig, Germany, in August and September 2020. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated close relationships in viruses from humans, animals and mosquitos in eastern Germany, obtained during the preceding 2 years. The described large cluster of autochthonous West Nile virus infections in Germany indicates endemic seasonal circulation of lineage 2 viruses in the area.

Source: Eurosurveillance - November 19, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Corinna Pietsch, Dominik Michalski, Johannes M ünch, Sirak Petros, Sandra Bergs, Henning Trawinski, Christoph Lübbert and Uwe G Liebert Source Type: research