“In Italy, cases of West Nile Virus infection in humans have more than doubled in the last week.” Since the beginning of June 2022, 94 cases have been confirmed; 55 of these manifested themselves in the neuro-invasive form (16 Emilia-Romagna, 33 Veneto, 4 Piedmont, 2 Lombardy). While 7 deaths were reported: 5 in Veneto, 1 in Piedmont and 1 in Emilia-Romagna. This was indicated by the bulletin of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità on the surveillance activity against the West Nile virus, updated to 2 August 2022.
The first human case of the West Nile season was reported by Veneto in June in the province of Padua. From the last bulletin issued today it emerges that 19 cases were identified in blood donors (3 in Lombardy, 11 in Veneto, 4 in Emilia Romagna, one in Piedmont), 19 cases of fever (2 in Lombardy, 16 in Veneto , one in Emilia-Romagna) and a symptomatic case (Veneto). The previous bulletin (issued last July 26) reported 42 confirmed cases of infection in humans.
In Italy, the epidemiological surveillance of West Nile (Wnv) is handled by the Department of Infectious Diseases of the ISS and by the Center for Exotic Diseases Studies (Cesme) of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Abruzzo and Molise, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. It is regulated by the National Arbovirus Prevention, Surveillance and Response Plan 2020-2025, which integrates a part relating to the surveillance of human cases and a part relating to veterinary surveillance. The presence of the West Nile Virus was confirmed in 15 birds belonging to target species and in 10 wild birds, as well as in 100 virus pools of mosquitoes captured in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Piedmont Emilia Romagna and Lombardy.
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