The first case of West Nile virus for 2026 has been detected in Cyprus. Infectious disease specialist Aristos Aristodemou said that the patient, a 70-year-old man, is in serious condition and is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital.
As Mr. Aristodimou explained, this is an incident that falls under the very small percentage of patients infected with West Nile virus, who can develop a severe infection in the central nervous system. These patients are usually elderly or immunosuppressed people, although this is not necessary.
He added that the majority of infections with this virus are asymptomatic, while a small percentage may show flu symptoms. Mr. Aristodimou clarified that it is a virus that is transmitted exclusively by the bite of a mosquito that carries it and that it is not transmitted from person to person.
However, the fact that the existence of infected mosquitoes transmitting the virus is detected sounded the alarm to the authorities.
The Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health, Elizabeth Constantinou, stated that the Ministry has protocols and procedures in place for the management of cases, as their detection is followed by spraying to deal with mosquitoes.
Mr. Aristodimou explained that sprays are done throughout the year, but are applied more intensively when cases are detected, after tracing for the areas where the patient may have been infected and teams are sent for this purpose.
West Nile virus cases sporadically in Cyprus, there is no reason to panic
Cases of the virus remain sporadic in Cyprus, explained Ms. Constantinou, explaining that this picture does not inspire particular concern and there is no reason for panic, despite the outbreak observed in European countries.
Ms. Constantinou noted that the virus has been monitored in Cyprus since 2016 and the data recorded remain sporadic, with the exception of 2019, when 24 cases were recorded, and 2023, when nine cases were recorded, while there were also years with zero cases, such as 2020, 2021 and 2025.
Besides, Mr. Aristodemou said that it was expected that we would have a case, since the mosquito that can transmit the West Nile virus is endemic in Cyprus. He explained, in fact, that the services of the Ministry are also on alert for the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, which can transmit diseases that are not endemic to Cyprus, such as Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya.
Ms. Konstantinou underlined that it is important for citizens to apply insect repellent measures, as well as travellers who go to areas where there is an outbreak of the virus.
