DOLUS – First positive patient at West Nile in Venice. The first case of infection by West Nile Virus was recorded in the territory of the Venetian Ulss 3 Company: it is a patient hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of the Dolo Hospital (Venice).
Venice, West Nile alarm: first infected patient
Il Department of Prevention made the necessary reports and carried out any consequent checks. “From an initial analysis of the case – explains the director, Vittorio Selle – no other nearby cases were detected in the same geographical area of residence of the patient. There is therefore no evidence of a local cluster. We are facing a first case of disease in humans this summer, which we could unfortunately define as expected, given the presence of the virus in the carrier insect, already highlighted in recent days, and given the occurrence of other cases in the surrounding territories in recent weeks “.
How is West Nile virus transmitted?
The West Nile virus, now considered endemic in our territory, comes transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes to humans and animalsi, generally equines and birds. Mosquitoes belong to the genus Culex, including the common mosquito C. pipiens. Already on 22 April the mayor had signed the ordinance relating to measures for the prevention and control of mosquitoes. It is essential to eliminate the sources of stagnant water (such as basins and water tanks), keeping the greenery well kept and treating the drains with larvicidal products for mosquitoes.