A total of 16 cases of meningitis and meningo-encephalitis with West Nile virus were registered in Romania between May 9 and August 30, 2017, which resulted in six deaths, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

Half of the deaths were registered in Bucharest, with the other three being reported in Buzau, Braila, and Olt.

“The Ministry of Health emphasizes that all these cases, detected and registered in Romania, are sporadic cases and don’t pose the risk of a large epidemic,” reads the Ministry’s press release.

The West Nile virus is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. Most people infected with this virus will have no symptoms, and about one in five individuals who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms, according to information posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Doctors recommend people to reduce the risk of getting infected by using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites.

Last year, 80 people were infected with the West Nile virus in Romania between May 1 and September 29, and eight of them died.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com