ATHENS, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The number of people infected by the West Nile virus in Greece has risen to 10, National Public Health Organization (NPHO) announced on Thursday.
According to NPHO, five cases were recorded in only the past five days, while the first confirmed case was in late June. There was no deaths linked to the virus so far.
It noted that the patients were all over 50 years old. The cases were reported in areas of northern Greece, while the Attika region was just added to the list.
The virus is reported to use wild birds as a main reservoir and was passed to humans via mosquito, rather than from or between infected humans.
Greek experts advised the public to take precautions against mosquitoes. The higher risk group that may exhibit more symptoms are elder people, patients with suppressed immune system, and those with chronic illness.
In 2018, a record of 316 people were infected by the virus in the country, resulting in 50 fatal cases.
