A West Nile virus infection has been confirmed in a blood donor in the Netherlands. This occurred in August 2026 during a Sanquin study among blood donors from areas where the West Nile virus had previously been detected in humans, horses, birds or mosquitoes. A laboratory test (PCR) detected the virus in the donor, who had no symptoms and is still not showing any. The person lives in the province of Utrecht and has not been abroad recently. It is therefore likely that the infection was contracted in the Netherlands.

From Saturday 15 August 2026 at 08:00 in the morning, the National Heatwave Plan will no longer be active in a large part of the country. On Saturday, the plan will only remain in effect in four provinces: Limburg, North Brabant, Gelderland and Overijssel, where a heat intensity of 7–8 is still expected. On Sunday morning at 08:00, the National Heatwave Plan will also be lifted in these four provinces. Naturally, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and RIVM will remain on the lookout for new periods of heat.