West Nile virus now confirmed in mosquitoes in Serbia

* There are infected mosquitoes in Belgrade, and in several other towns in Serbia * Mosquitoes are aggressive this year

West Nile virus has been registered in mosquitoes in Belgrade, and in several other towns in Serbia.

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The virus has been registered in mosquitoes in several Belgrade municipalities, and in a couple of towns in Serbia, the Institute for Biocides and Medical Ecology has confirmed for Telegraf.rs.

As Doctor Ivan Aleksic from the Institute for Biocides specified for RTS, infected mosquitoes were registered at the end of June, found mostly around cemeteries and forest complexes, and in a few places in urban areas.

"In Belgrade, they are registered in the Banjica forest, the Central Cemetery, Topcider, such as Mali Zbeg, on the banks of the Danube, in Kotez, in Obrenovac... In Banovo Brdo, Julijino Brdo, Petlovo Brdo... About 20 percent carry the virus in them," he said.

He added that it doesn't merely look like mosquitoes are aggressive this year.

"They appeared late this year and now they are in a hurry to make up for lost time. Because their biological clock is ticking, females must mate, lay eggs, and in order to lay eggs, they need a blood meal that they take from us. They appeared late this year due to unfavorable weather conditions, it was very dry, water reservoirs where they mate had dried up. After these rains, they exploded," says Aleksic.

The mosquito population is very large, he said, but it is not like last year, when it was the largest in the past ten years.

"Most of them are around the banks of the Sava and the Danube rivers and in forest complexes. Now there are fewer forest ones, which are more aggressive, and they make up about 20 percent - but we notice those more."

Two days ago, Telegraf.rs reported that infected mosquitoes are expected in the second half of July, and that they were being tested for West Nile virus.

(Telegraf.rs)