In the summer months also in the ATS Val Padana area – including the provinces of Cremona and Mantua – the alert for West Nile virus disease (West Nile Disease – WND) grows, which is part of the arboviruses, zoonoses of viral origin transmitted by arthropod vectors (such as mosquitoes, ticks and sandflies) by bite or sting. In 2022, 31 confirmed cases of WND were reported in the ATS territory.
Dr. Antoniazzi
“WND is present in Italy and is more frequent in summer and autumn, when mosquitoes are more active – explains Enea Antoniazzi, Director of the Hygiene and Public Health Structure – Environment of ATS Val Padana -. Most people who get it don’t develop any symptoms; about 20% of those infected experience a mild flu-like form which can leave a state of weakness and fatigue after recovery. However, it is possible to develop a serious form – sometimes fatal – with meningitis and encephalitis; the risk increases in the elderly, in people with immune disorders and chronic diseases (such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease) and in transplant recipients”.
“The symptoms – continues Antoniazzi – are many: ranging from high fever to headache, from neck stiffness to disorientation and numbness, up to tremors and loss of vision. If you experience at least one of these symptoms, you should consult your doctor or go to a hospital”.
To date, there are no vaccines or preventive therapies available, therefore the only way not to contract the infection is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes as much as possible. How? ATS reminds you of some simple prevention measures to be taken for a safe summer.
What to do
• wear light-colored clothing that covers most of the body;
• use skin repellents on exposed skin, asking your pharmacist which product is most suitable;
• protect the house with mosquito nets on doors and windows;
• if there are mosquitoes in the house, use pyrethrum-based sprays or other insecticides for domestic use, or electric insecticide diffusers, taking care to ventilate the rooms well before staying there and carefully following the instructions for use.
What not to do
• avoid outdoor activities in the late afternoon – especially along water courses and canals -, visits to cemeteries, work in vegetable gardens, etc.;
• do not accumulate, outdoors, tires and other containers that can collect even small quantities of stagnant water; if this is not possible, arrange them in a pyramid after having emptied them of any water and cover them with a cloth. For materials that cannot be covered, carry out suitable disinfection within 5 days after rain.
• do not let water stagnate on the sheets used to cover piles of materials;
• do not leave objects and/or containers that can collect and retain rainwater (eg watering cans or buckets, inflatable pools, etc.);
• do not empty the water from saucers or other containers down the drains.
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