Following reports of West Nile virus (WNV) infections in animals at the end of July, the first human cases of the year have now also been confirmed. As of 17 September 2026, seven human cases had been recorded; six of these were locally acquired, whilst one was an imported case. 

In the veterinary sector, WNV has been detected in 3 horses and in 9 outbreaks among birds, all in eastern Austria. No positive detections in mosquitoes have yet been recorded this season (as at 17 September 2026). 

This reflects the trend across Europe during the 2026 WNV season, with high levels of viral circulation currently being observed in several European countries, affecting both humans and animals. To date, 15 European countries have reported locally acquired human cases of WNV infection. The number of recorded cases has increased almost sixfold since the beginning of August. Most cases have been reported from Italy (590), Greece (319) and Spain (104) (ECDC, as at 10 September 2026). In Greece, this represents a record number of human cases for this time of year. The Netherlands reported its first human cases of WNV infection since 2020 (ECDC, as at 3 September 2026). As current weather conditions favour the transmission of WNV by mosquitoes, further human cases are expected in Europe in the coming weeks.

In Austria, too, further cases are to be expected in the coming weeks in both the veterinary and human sectors, particularly in the high-risk regions of Burgenland, Lower Austria and Vienna. Particularly during the peak season in Central Europe, in August and September, WNV infection should be considered as a possible cause in the differential diagnosis of febrile illnesses or acute neurological symptoms.

To prevent infection, mosquito bites should be avoided as far as possible. Wearing long, light-coloured clothing and applying effective repellents (insect repellents) can help protect against bites.

All information and preventive measures can be found on the AGES website: West Nile Virus – AGES.

Since the last edition of AGES-Radar on 13 August 2026, the number of cases in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has continued to rise significantly. No cases have been reported from other countries. 
As at 14 September, a total of 7,258 confirmed cases of infection with the Bundibugyo Ebola virus had been reported in the DRC, including 3,510 deaths. The case fatality rate therefore remains at 48 per cent. A total of 1,726 people are considered to have recovered (ECDC, as at 15 September 2026). The province of Ituri in the east of the country remains the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for around 80 per cent of all reported cases.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this is the largest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history and – after the epidemic in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 – the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. The rate of spread is also exceptional: more than 5,000 cases were recorded within around 100 days.

Several factors are contributing to the rapid spread. The Bundibugyo Ebola virus (Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense, BDBV) differs from the more common Zaire Ebola virus (Orthoebolavirus zairense, EBOV) in that the disease often begins with non-specific and, initially, rather mild symptoms. As a result, infections can remain undetected for longer and spread unnoticed. 

Furthermore, there is currently neither an approved treatment nor a vaccine available for this viral variant. Initial clinical trials are currently being conducted to investigate the efficacy of Ervebo®, the vaccine authorised for the Zaire Ebola virus, as well as new vaccine candidates developed specifically to target BDBV.

Compounding the medical challenges is the difficult humanitarian and security situation in the affected regions. The epicentre of the outbreak is located in an area characterised by social tensions, armed conflict and limited access to healthcare services. Many of those who fall ill do not seek medical care and die at home. This makes it difficult to detect cases at an early stage, to trace contacts and to implement further measures to contain the outbreak.

Despite continuing gaps in epidemiological surveillance and data collection, the risk of infection for the population of the European Union and the European Economic Area is currently assessed as very low. 

The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to issue a travel warning for the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the highest security level (level 4 out of 4).

The AGES podcast ‘The Courage to Take Risks – In Context: Ebola’ explains how a suspected case of Ebola was handled in Austria and which factors, apart from the medical aspects, play an important role.

Regular updates on the outbreak in the DRC can be found at: 

• BMASGPK – Ebola
• WHO Disease Outbreak News – Ebola Disease
• ECDC Surveillance and Updates – Ebola Disease Outbreak

Four locally transmitted cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) were reported in Spain this summer. One person has died as a result (ECDC, as at 9 September 2026).

CCHF is a viral disease that is also notifiable in Austria. It can be transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks, through direct contact with the blood or meat of infected animals, or through contact with the blood or tissues of infected patients. Nosocomial infections (infections acquired in hospitals or care homes) can also occur where hygiene standards are inadequate. More than 80 per cent of cases are asymptomatic; however, in severe cases, bleeding and life-threatening complications may occur. 

As isolated cases of local transmission have occurred, particularly in southern Europe – even outside known endemic areas – and as the main vector is increasingly spreading to more northerly regions, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has introduced enhanced seasonal surveillance to monitor the occurrence of cases in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU and EEA respectively). 

In August 2026, a human case of CCHF was confirmed in Austria for the first time. The affected person had probably become infected with the virus whilst travelling in the Middle East. Treatment took place in a special isolation ward, as transmission of the virus is possible during treatment without adequate protective measures. 

The CCHF virus is primarily transmitted by hard ticks of the genus Hyalomma (‘giant ticks’). Originally native to the warmer regions of south-eastern Europe and Asia, adult specimens have also been detected in Austria for several years. 

Since the launch of the Austria-wide tick monitoring programme, the majority of Hyalomma findings have been associated with travel: in 2024, several cases were reported in which Hyalomma ticks had entered Austria in the cars of travellers returning from holiday. However, over the last few years, there has also been a relative increase in Hyalomma ticks in Austria that are not associated with travel. 

So far this year, there have been nine reports of Hyalomma ticks from Lower Austria and Styria. The majority of these were found in connection with horses. One tick had a confirmed link to travel: it was brought in from Greece. A travel link is possible for two further ticks, although this has not been fully clarified. Six Hyalomma ticks were available for testing; all tested negative for the CCHF virus (as at 14 September 2026).

If you suspect you have a Hyalomma tick (‘giant tick’), please send a photograph to zecken@ages.at and keep the tick until you receive a response from AGES, so that any necessary further investigations can be carried out. In doing so, you will be supporting the EU projects OH SURVector and RAISE, which contribute to a better understanding of the distribution of tick species and their potential pathogens. 

You can find all the information you need on reporting and handing in ticks you have found here: Tick Information – AGES 

On 27 August 2026, the Frankfurt Public Health Authority reported a total of six cases of malaria tropica. The cases involved employees at Frankfurt Airport who were believed to have become infected whilst carrying out their professional duties. In five of the infected individuals, the illness began in early July 2026, whilst in one other person it began in mid-August 2026. Two of those affected died as a result of the illness. On 15 September 2026, two further cases were reported involving people who live in the immediate vicinity of the airport but are not employed there. 

So-called ‘airport malaria’ is an extremely rare occurrence in which mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles, infected with malaria pathogens, are brought in on aeroplanes from areas where malaria is endemic, for example in the hold or in travellers’ luggage. The mosquitoes can then bite people at or around the airport, thereby transmitting the malaria pathogen, a parasite of the genus Plasmodium. Malaria tropica, caused by Plasmodium falciparum, is the most severe form of malaria; without prompt treatment, it is associated with an increased risk of severe disease and death. 

A systematic review from 2024 shows that whilst airport- and luggage-associated malaria remains very rare in Europe, it has been observed with increasing frequency in recent years. Diagnosis of these cases is often delayed, which is associated with a higher mortality rate than in travel-associated malaria. Whilst a diagnosis for travel-associated malaria is made on average after just three days, it takes an average of 7.5 days for ‘airport malaria’. 

In response to the deaths in Frankfurt am Main, extensive prevention and awareness-raising measures were introduced. Traps were set up to enhance mosquito monitoring for the early detection of potentially introduced infected mosquitoes. In addition, the relevant authorities informed the medical profession and other healthcare facilities in the greater Frankfurt area about the incidents, in order to raise awareness of this rare but potentially life-threatening disease and to encourage prompt diagnosis. Residents living in the vicinity of the airport were also advised to seek medical advice promptly if they experience any symptoms and to mention their place of residence.

These incidents do not pose an increased risk of infection to the general population in Europe, as direct human-to-human transmission of Malaria tropica is not possible. The Anopheles mosquito is not native to our region; in Austria, the occurrence of non-native mosquito species is monitored through dedicated programmes. 

In August, the 2025 annual report of the National Reference Centre for Vectors and Vector-Borne Pathogens was published.

In 2025, the Austrian vector monitoring programme covered ticks and mosquitoes. Ticks were collected as part of a citizen science initiative, whilst mosquitoes were captured using traps distributed across the whole of the country. The vectors were morphologically identified and tested for selected pathogens.

A total of 8,298 ticks were submitted for identification and subsequent pathogen analysis. The most common tick genus was Ixodes (96 per cent), with Ixodes ricinus being by far the most frequently detected species. The most frequently detected microorganisms were *Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato* (24 per cent), followed by *Rickettsia spp.* (13 per cent), *Spiroplasma ixodetis* (10 per cent), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (8 per cent), Neoehrlichia mikurensis (5 per cent), the relapsing fever borrelia of the species Borrelia miyamotoi (2 per cent) and Francisella tularensis (<1 per cent).

In 2025, a total of 6,146 mosquitoes were collected. The majority belonged to the Culex pipiens/torrentium complex, the most important vector of WNV in Europe. For testing for pathogens, the mosquitoes were grouped into a total of 1,313 pools. Neither WNV nor any of the other mosquito-borne pathogens tested for – including Usutu virus, Tahyna virus, Sindbis virus and Batai virus – were detected in the pools examined.

A total of 66,994 mosquito eggs from ovitraps were analysed for the monitoring of non-native mosquitoes.

Reference Centre for Vectors and Vector-Associated Pathogens – AGES

In mid-August, the 2025 annual report of the National Reference Centre for Tuberculosis was published. 

In 2025, 384 cases of tuberculosis (TB) were recorded in Austria, corresponding to an incidence of 4.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Men were 1.6 times more likely to develop the disease than women. There were 104 cases (27.1 per cent) among people born in Austria and 280 cases (73 per cent) among those not born in Austria.  Among those born in Austria, the age group of men aged ≥65 recorded the highest incidence (3.8 per 100,000). The highest incidence was recorded among males aged 15 to 24 who were not born in Austria, at 29.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. The federal state of Vienna was the most severely affected, with 7.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, whilst Carinthia was the least affected, with 1.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

From 2015 up to and including 2025, the incidence of TB in Austria fell by an average of 0.31 cases per 100,000 inhabitants annually, representing an overall decrease of 66 per cent.

In 2025, the National TB Reference Centre detected one case of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB), four cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and two cases of pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR-TB) TB. 

Tuberculosis – AGES

In early September, the 2025 annual report of the National Reference Centre for Shigellosis was published. 

In 2025, 98 confirmed cases of Shigella infection were reported in Austria. The number of primary human Shigella isolates received by the National Reference Centre was 107, corresponding to an incidence of around 1.2 per 100,000 people. The predominant species was Shigella sonnei, accounting for 67.3 per cent. 

Four isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial drug classes tested. Resistance to ciprofloxacin was detected in 37 isolates, whilst a total of 49 strains showed resistance to nalidixic acid. Forty-nine Shigella isolates were identified as producing ESBL (extended-spectrum β-lactamase).

Shigella – AGES

Case figures for notifiable diseases under the Epidemic Diseases Act; the figures shown are for the previous month and, for the period from the start of the year to the end of the previous month, the figures for the current year, the previous year, and the median for the last five years for comparison (Epidemiological Reporting System, as at 16 September 2026).

^a Diseases are assessed in accordance with the case definition. Diseases for which a case definition exists are shown, with the exception of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. As a rule, confirmed and probable cases are counted. Changes may still occur as a result of late reports or retrospective entries.

^b Bacterial and viral food poisoning, in accordance with the Epidemics Act.

^c Invasive bacterial disease, as defined in the Epidemics Act.

^d Includes only cases involving pneumonia.

^e Due to the lack of a case definition prior to 2025, only cases from 2025 onwards are shown; the median is also calculated only from 2025 onwards.

^f Mpox has been a notifiable disease since 2022; the median is calculated only for those years in which it is a notifiable disease.