First suspected human West Nile cases in Belgium as virus spreads in Flanders

Five suspected human West Nile virus infections in Flanders mark the first human cases since the virus began circulating in Belgium in early August. Animal infections (25 horses, ~60 birds) have been confirmed, but human cases remain unconfirmed pending lab results. This signals northward expansion of the virus in Europe, where over 1,000 human cases have been reported.