An epidemic of West Nile fever has been declared in the Skopje municipalities of Kisela Voda, Gazi Baba, Aerodrom, Butel, and Ilinden. At a press conference Wednesday, health officials said there was no room for panic and urged the citizens to follow measures for the prevention of infection.
Twenty have been hospitalized at the Infectious Diseases Clinic, five of whom are in serious condition and on mechanical ventilation. Most of the patients are elderly men over 60 years old, who mostly worked in agriculture and gardening in the evening and early morning hours.
An 83-year-old patient with West Nile fever, who had multiple comorbidities, died last weekend.
Official data shows that in the last 15 years, a total of five deaths related to the West Nile virus have been recorded in Macedonia.
Dr. Marija Gochevska from the Institute of Public Health informed that as of August 11, a total of 26 cases have been registered, of which two are probable. Of these, 25 people are from Skopje, and one is from Veles. Regarding the age category, Dr. Gochevska indicated that 22 people are over 60 years of age.
“These are indigenous cases from our country, and one person traveled to Greece. All cases are neuroinvasive,” said Dr. Gochevska.
