Two people infected with the West Nile virus have died in Flanders, the Flemish Health Agency said on Thursday.
Both victims were considered to be high-risk patients, but the agency did not share any information about their identities or any pre-existing conditions. A total of 14 infections with the West Nile virus have been confirmed in Flanders.
"Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise. We knew that the virus had been circulating locally in Flanders in recent months and that 1% of those infected could develop a severe form of the disease," said Anneleen De Sadeleer, a spokesperson for the Flemish Health Agency.
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However, the agency reassures the public that the vast majority of infections are mild and asymptomatic. “But the elderly and those with weakened immune systems remain particularly vulnerable,” she added.
For her part, the Flemish Minister for Wellbeing Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) said she would "continue to provide targeted information to healthcare professionals and care homes on how to avoid mosquito bites as much as possible."
"We also urge everyone to take the necessary precautions," she said, after also offering "her sincere condolences" to the families and loved ones of the deceased.
West Nile virus is an arbovirus capable of causing neurological disorders in humans. Found in birds, it can be transmitted to humans and horses by mosquitoes that have fed on the blood of an infected bird.
