Four patients with West Nile virus have died
The number of reported Dutch infections stands at 56 according to the latest reports, while the rise appears to be slowing.
Follow-up to: Number of Dutch West Nile cases rises to 56 Thursday, 1 October 2026, 13:02
Four patients diagnosed with West Nile virus have died since the previous update, NOS reports. The number of reported infections in the Netherlands has risen to 56, but the increase appears to be levelling off, according to the reports.
The new deaths come on top of five earlier fatalities reported by RIVM in its 24 September update. In people who have other serious conditions alongside a West Nile virus infection, it is not always possible to determine whether the virus was the direct cause of death.
RIVM reported 44 Dutch infections on 24 September. Since that update, twelve new patients have been registered, according to the latest reports. The infections are spread across several provinces and were identified mainly in people who ended up in hospital with symptoms.
In the Netherlands, West Nile virus is usually transmitted by the common house mosquito. People do not simply pass the virus on to one another. Transmission through blood or organ donation is possible, however; blood donations from risk areas are therefore now being tested.
Most infections cause no symptoms or only mild symptoms. A small proportion of patients become seriously ill. There is no generally available vaccine for people and no specific medicine for West Nile fever; treatment focuses on the symptoms and any complications.
Horses, birds and mosquitoes are also being monitored. RIVM figures from late September showed a clear increase in positive animals and mosquitoes. This helps researchers determine where the virus is circulating and how its spread is developing.
The impression that the outbreak is levelling off is for now a trend, not a final conclusion. The mosquito season is still continuing and the figures are updated weekly. The latest mortality figures should also be read with the caveat that an infection need not have been the direct cause of every death.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The new figures are based on the current NOS reporting and supplemented with the latest RIVM context. The text has been adjusted to avoid suggesting that the virus was proven to be the direct cause of death in all the deceased patients.
- confirmed Four patients diagnosed with a West Nile virus infection have died. — This is the key point of the current NOS reporting. source
- confirmed RIVM reported 44 infections and five deaths on 24 September. — These figures appear in RIVM's 24 September update. source
- confirmed West Nile virus is usually transmitted by mosquitoes and is not simply passed from person to person. — RIVM describes the routes of transmission and the exceptions. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: Four new deaths were caused by West Nile virus.Now: Four patients diagnosed with West Nile virus have died; it has not been established in every case that the virus was the direct cause of death. (RIVM warns that patients may also have other serious conditions.)
Editor's note
The latest mortality and infection figures come from the NOS update; at the time of checking, the most recent fully visible RIVM table was lagging behind. The connection between infection and death has not been established for every patient.Sources
The story so far
- Thursday, 1 October 2026, 11:26 RIVM reports 44 West Nile virus infections in the Netherlands
- Thursday, 1 October 2026, 12:02 New deaths from West Nile virus not yet officially confirmed
- Thursday, 1 October 2026, 13:02 Number of Dutch West Nile cases rises to 56
- Thursday, 1 October 2026, 14:03 Four patients with West Nile virus have died (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „westnijlvirus westnijlkoorts”
- Trouw — „westnijlvirus westnijlkoorts”
- NRC — „westnijlvirus westnijlkoorts”