In October 2020, the first case of autochthonous West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease was diagnosed in the Netherlands with a presumed infection in the last week of August. Investigations revealed five more cases of local West Nile virus (WNV) infection. The cases resided in a region where WNV was detected in a bird and mosquitoes in August 2020. Molecular analysis was successful for two cases and identified the presence of WNV lineage 2.
Keywords: WNF; WNND; West Nile virus; blood safety; meningitis; the Netherlands; zoonoses.