Second patient with West Nile fever dies in North Macedonia

A second patient with West Nile fever has died in North Macedonia, announced Fadil Cana, director of the University Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Skopje.

As Cana said in a statement to the media, it is a 72-year-old resident of Skopje with laboratory-confirmed West Nile virus infection and "severe clinical picture of meningoencephalitis" (serious brain inflammation).

"The patient was in a serious general condition upon admission, with pronounced neurological symptoms. Despite the intensive treatment measures and continuous monitoring, his health condition progressively deteriorated," Cana said.

He added that 19 patients with laboratory-confirmed West Nile virus infection are currently hospitalized at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, while the diagnostic procedure is underway for five suspected of having the virus.

Previously, a few days ago, an 83-year-old man from Skopje, who was diagnosed and confirmed to have the neuroinvasive form of the virus and who had many concomitant diseases, died at that clinic from the consequences of the West Nile virus.