Skopje, 10 September 2026 (MIA) -- As of Aug. 8, the country has logged 58 cases of West Nile virus and eight people have died from the mosquito-borne infection since the start of 2026, health authorities said.

According to the Public Health Institute in its latest report on the current transmission season, the majority of hospitalized patients and all reported fatalities have been older adults, aged 62 to 83, with underlying health conditions.

Out of the 58 reported cases, 47 are over the age of 60, seven are aged 50-59, one person is in their thirties, and three people are aged 20-29. The average age is 66.1 years. Twelve are women and 46 are men.

The onset of symptoms in 38 of this year's cases was in August. In 17 cases, the onset of symptoms was in July, in two in June, and in one in May.

Most of them are from Skopje. Veles, Kumanovo and Sveti Nikole have logged one case each. The Sveti Nikole case was reported last week, Aug. 2-8, along with two new cases from Skopje. 

Skopje also saw two new deaths from the virus last week. All of the fatalities were men at the average age of 71.9, the PHI report said.

All 56 patients with neuroinvasive disease were hospitalized -- 55 at the Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions and one at the private hospital Acibadem Sistina. Of them, 43 have been discharged. Five people are still in hospital.

Since the first human case of West Nile virus was reported in Macedonia in 2011, health authorities have logged 112 cases: 54 cases from 2011 through 2025 and 58 cases in 2026 alone. mr/