A horse on a farm in Paralimni has tested positive for West Nile virus, the first case of 2026 to be confirmed in a horse in Cyprus.
Horses, like humans, are “dead-end hosts”, meaning an infected horse cannot pass the virus on to mosquitoes. Nor can the virus spread through contact from horse to human or from person to person. It is spread mainly by the bites of infected common mosquitoes of the Culex genus, which pick it up from sick birds, mostly wild ones. Wild birds are the virus’s main reservoir in nature. The virus mainly affects birds, horses and humans.
The horse was one of 16 on the farm, in the Famagusta district, and the only confirmed case. The Veterinary Services officially reported the case to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on September 18 through an immediate notification. The WOAH report gives September 9 as the date the outbreak began.
The Veterinary Services’ Animal Health Laboratory and Virology Department confirmed the virus with ELISA tests for IgG and IgM antibodies, carried out on September 11 and 15.
The Veterinary Services put control protocols into effect as soon as the case was confirmed. Vector and mosquito control measures are already under way in the area to limit further spread.
Authorities advise the public, and especially animal owners, to protect themselves from mosquitoes by using insect repellent and getting rid of standing water. They should also report any suspicious symptoms to the authorities immediately.
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