RIVM confirms 5 new West Nile cases in the Netherlands while death toll remains at 10

The West Nile virus has been confirmed in five more people in the Netherlands. Three of the infections occurred in Zuid-Holland and two in Noord-Brabant. As a result, the total number of confirmed infections has risen to 64. The number of deaths remains at 10, according to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

The number of new cases is lower than during the summer months. The RIVM attributes this decline in part to the end of the mosquito season; in addition, the virus becomes less active at lower temperatures.

According to the weekly update, 32 birds and five horses have also tested positive for the West Nile virus last week. The virus originates in birds and can be transmitted to humans by mosquitoes.

Most people experience few or no symptoms from an infection, although some patients develop flu-like symptoms. In rare instances, infection can lead to encephalitis, meningitis, or a polio-like symptom. The ten people who died in the Netherlands were elderly or had an underlying health condition.

On Thursday, the Flemish Department of Care announced that two people in Flanders have now died after contracting the virus - the first fatal cases in the region. Authorities there have also recorded 12 additional infections.