In Lazio, one death from West Nile virus has occurred; a woman has died in Fondi.

An 82-year-old woman living in Nerola (Rome) died at the San Giovanni di Dio Hospital in Fondi (Latina) from West Nile virus. She had been hospitalized on July 14 for fever and confusion.

There are currently six additional confirmed cases of West Nile virus infection in Lazio, all within the province of Latina. Two are in critical condition due to comorbidities and are both hospitalized at the Santa Maria Goretti Hospital in Latina. The other four are improving clinically. In light of the outbreak in the province of Latina, the Lazio Region has issued measures, activated on July 17, to strengthen surveillance and monitoring activities for the proper management of any suspected cases. Specifically, the recommendations for the Province of Latina include: raising awareness among physicians (particularly family doctors, pediatricians, emergency department physicians, emergency rooms, and community health professionals) and local veterinarians, and providing clinical and laboratory support for patient management; targeted disinfestation interventions in Culex pipiens mosquito larvae (within a 200-meter radius of suspected viral circulation sites); informing citizens about the importance of mosquito bite prevention and collaboration in eliminating larval outbreaks; Consider diagnosing West Nile in patients with new-onset fever without an obvious cause; conduct clinical examinations of equines, as well as extraordinary serological surveillance in farms located around suspected or confirmed outbreaks.

The Ministry of Health recommends following preventive measures to protect against mosquitoes that carry the virus, such as using repellent; wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk; using mosquito screens on windows; frequently emptying flowerpots or other containers (such as buckets) with standing water; frequently changing the water in pet bowls; and keeping paddling pools upright when not in use.

WEST NILE FEVER, MOSQUITO VECTOR ALERT

West Nile fever, which caused the death of a woman in Latina, is a disease caused by the West Nile virus (WNV), a virus of the Flaviviridae family first isolated in 1937 in Uganda, in the West Nile district from which it takes its name. The virus is widespread in Africa, Western Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. The virus's reservoirs, explains the Italian National Institute of Health, are wild birds and mosquitoes (most commonly Culex mosquitoes), whose bites are the primary means of transmission to humans. Other documented means of infection, although much rarer, include organ transplants, blood transfusions, and mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy. West Nile fever is not transmitted from person to person through contact with infected individuals. The virus also infects other mammals, especially horses, but in some cases also dogs, cats, rabbits, and others.

Most infected people show no symptoms. Of those who do, approximately 20% have mild symptoms: fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes. More severe symptoms occur in an average of less than 1% of infected people (1 in 150) and include high fever, severe headache, muscle weakness, disorientation, tremors, vision problems, numbness, convulsions, and even paralysis and coma. Some neurological effects can be permanent. In the most severe cases (approximately 1 in 1,000), the virus can cause fatal encephalitis. There is no vaccine for West Nile fever. Vaccines are currently being developed, but for now, prevention primarily involves reducing exposure to mosquito bites. Therefore, it is advisable to protect oneself from bites and prevent mosquitoes from breeding easily. There is no specific treatment for West Nile fever. In most cases, symptoms resolve on their own after a few days or may persist for a few weeks. In more severe cases, hospitalization is necessary, where treatments include intravenous fluids and assisted breathing.