Two people have died and 68 others have been taken ill as part of a recent outbreak of the West Nile virus in Israel, the country's Health Ministry has confirmed.
The two people killed by the virus - an infection typically spread by mosquitoes - were 85 and 75 years old and had been dealing with other unidentified illnesses, the ministry said.
The 68 other people who were infected with the virus are mostly elderly people or those who suffered from other ailments beforehand, it added.
A similar outbreak in Greece has killed 11 people and affected 96 others, that country's Center for Disease Prevention and Control (KEELPNO) confirmed on Thursday, adding that most cases had been reported on the Peloponnese peninsula and west of Athens.
Symptoms of the West Nile virus include fever, headache, vomiting and rashes. Recovery can take months. The risk of death among those with a prior health condition is 10 per cent.
