The first case of the West Nile virus this year has been recorded in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

Public Health France confirmed this week the first locally acquired case of West Nile virus in mainland France in 2026. The patient was infected in the Pyrénées-Orientales department.

The virus, transmitted by Culex mosquitoes—not the tiger mosquito—circulates via birds before reaching humans. These mosquitoes bite primarily in the evening and at night.

This case reflects the ongoing spread of the virus in France: in 2025, 62 locally acquired infections were recorded in six regions, including three newly affected areas (Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Normandy), indicating a westward and northward spread. The trend is similar in Europe, with more than 1,400 cases in 2024, mainly in Italy and Greece.

The bulletin also provides an update on diseases transmitted by the tiger mosquito. Between May 1 and July 12, France recorded 69 imported cases of chikungunya, 215 of dengue fever, and 9 of Zika virus, with no local transmission so far. Last year, an exceptional outbreak resulted in 809 locally acquired cases of chikungunya.

Most infections remain asymptomatic or mild. Public Health France reminds the public of protective measures: wearing protective clothing, using insect repellent, mosquito nets, diffusers, and, depending on the situation, targeted actions against larvae and adult mosquitoes.

  Pascal Lemontel

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