BELGRADE -- Deputy director Olga Dulovic of Belgrade's Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases reported on Thursday that the West Nile virus has claimed the lives of three elderly people in Serbia. The deaths occurred last month and Dulovic said doctors confirmed that the cause was viral encephalitis, although the patients had other medical complications. On Wednesday, Dulovic said that 16 more people were infected with West Nile virus which is transmitted by the tiger mosquito. As of Wednesday, the total number of infected people in Serbia rose to 37. She added that the number represented the total by the end of August and there could be an increase in West Nile patients, depending on the level of activity of the mosquitoes in the succeeding days. Earlier, Dulovic said about 20 patients had been admitted to hospitals with symptoms that indicated a possible encephalitis infection. It turned out that two of the patients were indeed infected with the dreaded virus, as it can sometimes take as long as two weeks to get the laboratory test results. However, the deputy director stressed that the public has no reason for concern since several types of viral encephalitis can be mild and even pass unnoticed. Meanwhile, Health Minister Slavica Djukic Dejanovic also stated that there is no risk of a West Nile virus epidemic in the country.