West Nile virus kills 2 in Belgium as Dutch cases reach 64

2 people in Belgium have died from West Nile virus, authorities announced on Thursday, as the Netherlands reported 5 new infections, AD reported. Both Belgian victims belonged to a risk group; no further details have been released, the outlet said.

People over 50 and those with weaker immune systems are more likely to become severely ill from the virus, according to AD. Flanders has also confirmed 14 new infections; a spokesperson for the region's Department of Care said most cases remain mild, with many going unreported because they cause no symptoms.

Until Thursday's announcement, Belgium had recorded only 16 cases of the virus, none considered life-threatening, 7sur7 reported. The virus was first detected in Belgium in birds in 2025; in 2026 it was found again, for the first time also in horses and humans, in people living in Antwerp and Flemish Brabant, while animal cases were also recorded in East Flanders and Limburg, 7sur7 said.

In the Netherlands, 5 new infections were confirmed, 3 in South Holland and 2 in North Brabant, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 64, AD reported, citing the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The death toll in the Netherlands remains at 10, the institute said. Last week, a person died from the virus in the Netherlands for the first time this year, according to 7sur7.

The number of new cases is lower than during the summer, as mosquito season winds down and the virus becomes less active at lower temperatures, RIVM said. In its weekly update, the institute reported that 32 birds and 5 horses also tested positive for the virus in the past week.

People catch West Nile virus from the bite of an infected mosquito, which becomes infected by feeding on infected birds, AD reported. There is no specific treatment beyond easing symptoms, and a vaccine exists for horses but not for humans, 7sur7 said.