First Autochthonous West Nile Lineage 2 and Usutu Virus Infections in Humans, July to October 2018, Czech Republic

We present epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings of five Czech patients diagnosed with autochthonous mosquito-borne disease-four patients with confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) and one patient with Usutu virus (USUV) infections, from July to October 2018, including one fatal case due to WNV. This is the first documented human outbreak caused by WNV lineage 2 in the Czech Republic and the first record of a neuroinvasive human disease caused by USUV, which illustrates the simultaneous circulation of WNV and USUV in the country.

Automated summary

The study presented epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory findings of five Czech patients diagnosed with autochthonous mosquito-borne diseases, including four with confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) infections and one with Usutu virus (USUV) infection, from July to October 2018. It documented the first human outbreak caused by WNV lineage 2 in the Czech Republic, as well as the first neuroinvasive human disease caused by USUV, indicating the simultaneous circulation of WNV and USUV in the country.