Spread of West Nile virus in Europe

Subject: Spread of West Nile virus in Europe

According to the statistics in the latest report by the European Food Safety Authority, the number of cases of West Nile virus have increased sharply in the European Union.

West Nile virus is being transmitted in Europe through mosquito bites. 2022 saw one of the highest- ever transmission seasons in Europe, with 1 133 cases, which was around seven times higher than in 2021.

Given that the virus has a markedly high mortality and hospitalisation rate (92 deaths with almost 87 % of all those infected being hospitalised), can the Commission answer the following questions:

1. Is it aware of the rapid spread of West Nile virus in Europe?

2. How does it intend to combat its spread?

Submitted:18.4.2024

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission (24 June 2024)

West Nile Fever (WNF) infections in humans are asymptomatic in about 80% of cases. About 20% of West Nile Virus (WNV) infections in humans may cause WNF, and less than 1% may cause West Nile neuroinvasive disease that affects the nervous system.

The surveillance of WNF is carried out by the Member States based on EU legal provisions as set by the Animal Health La w (1) and the Zoonoses Directive (2).

Regular joint assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) take place with the publication of weekly epidemiological bulletins between June and October since 2014 (3) as well as yearly reports (4).

Given the risk of transfusion-transmitted WNV, the reports have triggered safety measures by blood banks across European countries.

An interactive dashboard with the geographical distribution of cases across Europe is available on the ECDC’s websit e (5). Additionally, ECDC released in June 2023 a report highlighting the emerging threats associated with WNV (6).

The Commission is supporting countries via grants under the EU4Health programme to strengthen epidemiological surveillance among animals, including surveillance of WNF, providing EUR 20 million to EU/EEA (European Economic Area) countries within the next 3 years.

The Commission appointed an EU reference laboratory for Equine Diseases (7) that coordinates a network of reference laboratories to ensure harmonisation of diagnostic techniques for WNF detection in animals.

Finally, the Commission, aware of the increasing importance of threats associated with climate change such as those transmitted by vectors like mosquitos, has organised several meetings addressing WNF risks and epidemiology (8).

1 ∙ ⸱ Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing

certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’). OJ L 84, 31.3.2016, p. 1. 2 ∙ ⸱ Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents, amending Council Decision 90/424/EEC and repealing Council Directive 92/117/EEC. OJ L 325, 12.12.2003, p. 31. 3 ∙ ⸱ https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/west-nile-fever/surveillance-and-disease-data 4 ∙ ⸱ The European Union One Health 2022 Zoonoses Report. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8442 5 ∙ ⸱ https://gis.ecdc.europa.eu/portal/apps/dashboards/305f1b279cb04dddac3d4833b770a620 6 ∙ ⸱ https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/mosquito-borne-diseases-emerging-threat 7 ∙ ⸱ The European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) is responsible for equine viral arteritis (EVA), equine infectious anaemia (EIA), West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Eastern, Western and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (EEEV, WEEV and VEEV). 8 ∙ ⸱ This includes a dedicated Health Security Committee meeting on this topic in May 2023 and one on 5 June 2023 to facilitate knowledge sharing and facilitate a coordinated approach among EU/EEA countries, as well as meetings of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed on 25 April and 16 May 2024.