CHISINAU, September 15. /TASS/. Two West Nile fever cases have been registered in Moldova, the National Public Health Agency said.

According to the agency, the disease was contracted outside the country in both cases. The patients were bitten by mosquitoes while visiting Romania and the Czech Republic.

Previous West Nile fever cases were registered in Moldova in August 2024, and in 2019.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne infectious virus. It is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horse, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, and domestic rabbits. The main route of human infection is through the bite of an infected mosquito. Approximately 90% of West Nile Virus infections in humans are without any symptoms. WNV has three different effects on humans. The first is an asymptomatic infection; the second is a mild febrile syndrome termed West Nile Fever; the third is a neuroinvasive disease termed West Nile meningitis or encephalitis. The second, febrile stage has an incubation period of 2 to 8 days followed by fever, headache, chills, diaphoresis (excessive sweating), weakness, lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), drowsiness, pain in the joints and symptoms like those of influenza or the flu. The more dangerous encephalitis is characterized by similar early symptoms but also a decreased level of consciousness, sometimes approaching near-coma.