Greece has recorded 232 infections and 19 deaths from the West Nile virus as of August 26, according to weekly data released by the National Organization of Public Health of Greece (EODY).
Surge in Cases and Severe Neurological Complications
The latest figures from EODY show a sharp escalation from the 157 cases reported just a week prior. According to EODY surveillance data, 165 of the 232 confirmed patients have developed central nervous system lesions, including encephalitis, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis. Another 67 patients experienced milder forms of the infection or suffered from the virus without neurological complications.
Hospitalizations remain high across the country. As of August 26, data shows 73 patients actively receiving medical care, with 26 admitted to intensive care units and one patient in an advanced care unit. Meanwhile, 124 people have successfully recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
Fatalities have exclusively affected older populations. All 19 individuals who died were over the age of 65, with a median age of 85 and an age range spanning from 66 to 92 years. However, severe disease is not restricted to the elderly; health officials note that a 13-year-old child from a high-risk group was also hospitalized this season after the infection caused damage to the central nervous system.
Geographic Spread and Hard-Hit Municipalities
Human infections have been identified or investigated across 61 municipalities, 18 regional units, and five regions in Greece: Attica, Thessaly, Central Macedonia, Peloponnese, and Central Greece. Attica faces the most difficult epidemiological situation, with EODY reporting very intense circulation of the virus in the capital region that significantly exceeds previous years.
Eastern Attica accounts for a substantial share of the national total. Specific municipalities reporting high case counts include Spata-Artemis with 17 cases, Markopoulo-Mesogeas with 13 cases, and Agia Paraskevi with 12 cases. Agia Paraskevi is also where the first officially registered patient of the 2026 season was infected at the end of June. Other heavily impacted areas in Attica include Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, Pallini, Chalandri, Marathon, Koropi, and Glyfada.
In addition to active outbreak zones, EODY has designated several areas as high-risk locations where conditions favor the emergence of the virus. These zones include Heraklion Attica, Nea Smyrni, Nea Philadelphia-Nea Chalcedon, Daphni-Imittos, Amphipolis, and Thassos.
Climate Factors and Projections for the Peak Season
The severity of the outbreak is closely linked to unusual weather patterns. Theodoros Vasilakopoulos, President of EODY, explained that Greece experienced its second hottest winter in 150 years, which allowed mosquito populations to survive and begin breeding earlier in the year. This warm winter was followed by a wet, humid spring marked by heavy rainfall that generated stagnant water pools ideal for mosquito larvae development.
Public health authorities emphasize that official statistics capture only a fraction of total infections. Referencing historical studies from a major outbreak in 2010, EODY notes that for every identified case involving central nervous system damage, roughly 140 people contract a mild or completely asymptomatic form of the virus without realizing it.
EODY warns that the maximum number of West Nile virus cases in Greece typically occurs between mid-August and early September, meaning further case growth is likely.