Another person has died in a Skopje hospital after being infected with the West Nile virus, bringing the number of fatalities from the disease in North Macedonia to six. The victim is a 72-year-old man from Skopje, who had been hospitalized for the past 15 days and had been in a serious clinical condition.

Meanwhile, health authorities are grappling with concerns about the further spread of the virus. So far, 51 cases have been confirmed, most of them in the Skopje area.

Most of those affected are over 60 years old, while some patients have developed severe neurological complications, including encephalitis and meningitis. The increase in cases in a few weeks has alarmed authorities. At the end of July, only 8 cases were reported, while currently the number has risen to 51. The scale of the outbreak makes it one of the most serious situations the country has faced since 2011, when West Nile virus was first registered in North Macedonia.

As a result of the spread of the virus, authorities have declared a state of epidemic in several municipalities in Skopje. The measures include intensifying mosquito control programs and strengthening epidemiological surveillance.

West Nile virus is transmitted primarily through the bite of infected mosquitoes and, in most cases, causes mild or no symptoms. However, in older people and those with other health problems, the infection can cause severe forms of the disease.