The number of West Nile virus cases in Macedonia continues to rise after another patient was hospitalized at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases.
The latest patient is 76 years old and was admitted within the past 24 hours. Medical examinations confirmed inflammation of the brain and its surrounding membranes caused by a viral infection, while serological testing returned a positive result for West Nile virus.
With the latest case, seven patients are currently classified as clinically suspected cases, while the infection has been officially confirmed in 10 people. Three patients remain in critical condition in the intensive care unit and are receiving mechanical ventilation. Their condition has not changed. All of the patients are from Skopje.
Clinic director Dr. Fadil Cana said additional testing of the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid is needed to confirm the neuroinvasive form of the disease.
He explained that PCR testing is not considered the definitive diagnostic method for neuroinvasive West Nile virus. Patients therefore undergo further laboratory testing and are treated as infected with the virus.
According to Cana, the incubation period can last up to 14 days, and the course of the illness cannot be predicted in advance. Adults over 60, people with chronic conditions and those with weakened immune systems face the highest risk. About 80% of infections cause mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
