Russia Sees Possible Increase in West Nile Virus Cases This Autumn

Russia Sees Possible Increase in West Nile Virus Cases This Autumn
Mosquitoes in a container in a laboratory in Germany, which saw its first case of West Nile virus in 2019, in a 2019 file photograph. Steffen Kugler/Getty Images
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MOSCOW—Russia warned on Monday of a possible increase in West Nile virus infections this autumn as mild temperatures and heavy precipitation create favorable conditions for the mosquitoes that carry it.

Originally from Africa, the virus has spread in Europe, Asia, and North America. It is mainly transmitted through mosquito bites and can lead to a fatal neurological disease in humans, although most people infected never develop any symptoms.