West Nile fever case confirmed in Kumanovo as national tally rises to 50

Published: August 25, 2026 — Health authorities confirmed that West Nile fever has reached Kumanovo as part of a cluster of new infections across the country.

In a single day six additional laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, bringing the national total to 50 confirmed infections so far this season. Five of the newly identified patients live in the Skopje region, while the first locally confirmed case in Kumanovo was also recorded.

Case in Kumanovo and clinical details

The Kumanovo infection was detected in a 65-year-old man from a suburban neighbourhood. He had not travelled abroad prior to falling ill. The patient was admitted to the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Skopje; the Center for Public Health Kumanovo reported that his condition is severe and that he has multiple chronic conditions.

Health teams carried out an epidemiological survey among the patient’s household members and have scheduled disinsection measures at the places where he stayed and at other sites where he may have been bitten by an infected mosquito.

Almost half of those infected this season have required hospital treatment at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases with a severe neuroinvasive form of the disease, which can cause inflammation of the brain and its membranes. Five people have died from the illness so far this summer.

Among the newly confirmed cases, three are residents of the Gazi Baba municipality and are aged over 70. One patient is a 26-year-old resident of Zelenikovo and another is a 59-year-old from Aerodrom. Several municipalities have intensified mosquito spraying. Citizens are being advised to use repellents and to eliminate standing water.

Photo: press material from the event