Crete reports first imported West Nile virus case as elderly man is hospitalized

Crete recorded its first confirmed case of West Nile virus last week, involving an elderly man who had been infected in Attica but developed symptoms while traveling to the island, according to neakriti.gr.

The man, who has a prior medical history, required hospitalization. The diagnosis was made at the Laboratory of Clinical Virology at the Medical School of the University of Crete.

According to unconfirmed information cited by neakriti.gr, the man’s symptoms began aboard a ferry traveling from Piraeus to Heraklion. Upon arrival at the port of Heraklion, he was taken to Venizeleio Hospital, where tests confirmed the West Nile virus infection had originated in Athens. The unconfirmed reports also indicate he required treatment in the hospital’s intensive care unit. Other information suggests the man was initially treated at the Hospital of Agios Nikolaos before being transferred to Venizeleio Hospital in Heraklion.

Reassuring picture in Crete so far

Speaking to neakriti.gr, Dr. Georgios Sourvinos, Professor of Clinical Virology at the University of Crete and Director of the Laboratory of Clinical Virology at the University General Hospital of Heraklion (PAGNI) — recognized by the National Public Health Organization (EODY) as the reference laboratory for the Region of Crete — said the case is not counted epidemiologically as originating in Crete, since the infection is attributed to Attica.

“No positive case has been recorded so far that originated in Crete. The only case we detected was demonstrably infected in Attica and simply traveled to Crete, where it was picked up by our laboratory. As of now, at least at the laboratory level, Crete is clean,” Sourvinos said.

Laboratory surveillance on the island is continuing, with samples from patients showing symptoms consistent with West Nile virus infection sent daily from health units for testing. Around 30 samples have been tested so far without any further positive result, Sourvinos said, adding that the rate of samples submitted has increased during August and is expected to rise further in September.

Crete rated “low risk” by EODY

According to the official map published by the National Public Health Organization on August 21, 2026, titled “Affected and high-risk areas in Greece – 2026 transmission period,” Crete is not listed among the “affected” or “high-risk” areas, since no infection originating on the island has been recorded to date.

Nationally, EODY has recorded 157 cases and 13 deaths, with infections concentrated in the regions of Attica, Thessaly, Central Macedonia, the Peloponnese and Central Greece, with Attica accounting for the largest share of cases.