Elderly Man Hospitalized as First West Nile Virus Case Identified in Malaga Province

Health authorities announced that a 69-year-old resident of Pizarra is the first confirmed West Nile virus case in Malaga province for 2026, currently receiving intensive care at Hospital Clínico in Malaga city. He sought emergency care over a week ago with fever and headache, was found to have encephalopathy, and the virus was confirmed by the Virgen de las Nieves hospital in Granada after testing cerebrospinal fluid, urine and blood.

All suspected cases follow a protocol sending samples to Granada or Seville. Andalucía has recorded 62 infections this summer—56 in Seville, five in Huelva and one in Malaga—resulting in two deaths and 24 neuroinvasive cases. Mosquito surveillance remains active in Pizarra until 1 October and in nearby Cártama until 22 September. Experts warn that climate conditions and rising temperatures favor mosquito activity, increasing the risk of further spread.