West Nile virus revives warnings over Zagreb’s waste and crow problem

“What we warned about has happened again,” the Ekologija grada association said after West Nile virus was confirmed in dead crows at several locations in Zagreb and infections were recorded among people.

The association said the Croatian Veterinary Institute confirmed the first case in a dead crow in Zapruđe on Aug. 27. The following day, the virus was found in four more crows at Kvaternik Square, Bartol Kašić Park, Savica and Dubrava.

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What we warned about has happened again.

Ekologija grada connected the number of crows with the city’s waste management. It said overflowing containers, rubbish left beside them, irregular collection and illegal dumps give birds a steady food supply and encourage their population to grow. “This is not an ‘sudden’ phenomenon. It is the consequence of the uncontrolled growth of the crow population in the city, directly linked to the availability of food from waste,” the association said.

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This is not an ‘sudden’ phenomenon. It is the consequence of the uncontrolled growth of the crow population in the city, directly linked to the availability of food from waste.

Mosquitoes can contract West Nile virus by feeding on infected birds and then transmit it to people through bites. The group said intensified mosquito control by city services was justified but reactive. “Prevention starts earlier, with orderly and regular waste management that gives crows no reason to gather and multiply,” it said.

The association urged officials to treat Zagreb’s waste problem as a public-health issue, not simply a matter of street cleanliness. It advised residents to report two or more dead birds found in the same location to the relevant services and not to handle them with bare hands.

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Prevention starts earlier, with orderly and regular waste management that gives crows no reason to gather and multiply.