Health officials in Italy say warmer, longer seasons are helping mosquitoes carry the virus into new areas and extend the period of risk, according to a report by NPR News.
With West Nile transmission starting earlier than usual this year, officials in Delaware and other states are using chickens as an early warning system to track the mosquito-borne virus.
Health authorities identified five probable West Nile virus infections in Antwerp and Flemish Brabant, marking the first locally transmitted cases in northern Belgium, according to Anadolu Agency.