Anticipating the locations in Europe of high-risk areas for West Nile virus outbreaks in 2021

West Nile virus infections in humans are continuously increasing, and the virus has spread considerably in Europe over the past decade. The incidence of the disease was unusually high between 2018 and 2020. The resulting model identifies the West Nile virus outbreak-prone areas during 2021, even in regions where the virus has not yet been discovered. It is remarkable that in Central Europe, new favourable areas are emerging, where early actions could lessen the impact of the disease.

Automated summary

Human infections of West Nile virus are on the rise, with a considerable spread in Europe over the past decade. High incidence of the disease was seen between 2018 and 2020. A model predicts outbreak-prone areas for the virus in 2021, including new favorable areas in Central Europe.