Greece’s public health authorities are investigating whether a new strain of West Nile virus could be contributing to an unprecedented increase in cases, according to Danai Pervanidou, head of the Department of Vector-Borne Diseases at the National Public Health Organization (EODY).
Laboratory testing, including phylogenetic analyses, will be carried out at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki to identify the strains currently circulating and assess their genetic relationship with strains recorded in previous years and other regions.
“All of Attica is in the red,” Pervanidou told Kathimerini, warning that if the current rate of infections continues, 2026 could become a record year for West Nile virus cases.
Cases have also been recorded in Thessaly and Central Macedonia, with smaller numbers in the Peloponnese and Central Greece.
From August 13 to 20, 47 new cases of West Nile virus infection and 4 deaths due to the disease were recorded.
