A blood donor in the Netherlands has tested positive for the West Nile virus. The RIVM says the person had not travelled abroad, so they believe the infection occurred in the Netherlands.
The last Dutch infections appeared in 2020. Birds carry the virus, and common house mosquitoes can pass it to humans and horses. People and animals do not spread the virus further.
Blood bank Sanquin discovered the infection during screening. They say the virus does not spread through daily contact, but it can pass through a blood transfusion. The RIVM supports this and adds that human wounds do not transmit the virus. Sanquin also says the donor’s blood had already reached a patient. The patient and their doctor now know about this.
Most infected people remain healthy. Around 80 percent show no symptoms. West Nile fever, which causes flu‑like symptoms, appears in 19 percent of cases. About 1 percent develop neurological symptoms. A small number of people with severe West Nile fever may die.
The RIVM says a human, a horse and a bird recently tested positive at different locations in the Netherlands. These cases show that mosquitoes carrying the virus are present. A spokesperson says people may choose to protect themselves against mosquitoes, although the chance of infection remains small.
Sanquin will expand screening for donors from “risk areas within the Netherlands.” These areas currently include the province of Utrecht and the Gooi‑ and Vechtstreek region. The donor lives in Utrecht, according to the RIVM.
In 2020, the RIVM first found the virus in a bird in the Netherlands. They informed medical professionals. Since then, fewer than ten people have tested positive for the virus in the country.
@ANP | News Brainport
