BUCHAREST, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- An elderly woman with pre-existing health conditions became the first person to die from the West Nile virus in Romania, the Health Ministry confirmed on Friday.
The 79-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with suspected meningitis caused by West Nile virus, said Lawrence Colintineanu, spokesman of the ministry, adding that the diagnosis was confirmed by doctors.
The patient from Ialomita, a neighboring county of the Romanian capital Bucharest, had also suffered from other diseases, and her body could no longer cope with the infection, the official added.
Earlier, a 75-year-old woman from the same county has also been confirmed being infected with West Nile virus, but recovered quickly after treatment and was discharged.
