West Nile virus cases in Lazio are "just the tip of the iceberg": infectious disease specialists meet today.

In West Nile, "the identified cases represent only the tip of the iceberg, as most infections are asymptomatic: early diagnosis and mapping of the area are essential." This is the warning from Miriam Lichtner of SIMIT , the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, who, in light of the seven infected people—including one elderly woman who died—in the province of Latina , calls for "strengthening clinical and environmental surveillance and urgently implementing prevention measures against the vector, the Culex pipiens mosquito."

Specialists emphasize that "the regional infectious disease network, strengthened after the Covid-19 pandemic, is already active" and that today "a meeting will be held with all the infectious disease departments and emergency rooms in Lazio , with the launch of training activities for healthcare workers" coordinated by SIMIT secretary Emanuele Nicastri, director of the High-Intensity Infectious Diseases Division at the IRCCS INMI Spallanzani in Rome. Meanwhile, "the Lazio Region has already activated disinfestations in the affected municipalities and monitoring for insect vectors."

" Diagnosis is very important. Fortunately, infectious disease specialists are paying close attention to this topic, and we've been working for years to raise awareness of these diseases throughout the medical profession," emphasizes Lichtner, full professor of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at Sapienza University of Rome. "Our colleagues in Latina," he remarks, "were very good at identifying West Nile and identifying cases with the support of the Spallanzani laboratory. The symptoms often resemble the flu : fever, headache, and rash. But in some cases, tremors, drowsiness, and confusion appear. We need to immediately identify suspected cases with targeted screening, especially in emergency rooms and by general practitioners."

The expert emphasizes that " West Nile virus has no specific cure. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive : hydration, fever control, and monitoring of the patient's vital signs. In more severe cases, immunoglobulins and antivirals used for other viruses, such as remdesivir, can be used. This is why early diagnosis and prevention are the main tools we have today to contain the infection."

"In addition to clinical surveillance," Lichtner reminds us, " environmental prevention is essential : the vector must be controlled with disinfestations based on larvicides and adulticides, starting from wetlands and residential areas. Citizens can also do their part : avoid stagnant water in gardens, be careful with plant saucers, and use repellents and mosquito nets." And "with these high temperatures," the professor recommends, "we must extend our attention to the entire family of arboviruses, such as dengue, Usutu, chikungunya, and Zika, given that some of these infections have already occurred in our latitudes."

"The situation must be monitored," agrees Massimo Andreoni, scientific director of SIMIT, "and it's not good news that the first cases have also been recorded in Lazio. This indicates a growing spread of the virus, which is already endemic in several Italian regions and is transmitted by the common Culex mosquito , also widespread in our country. On the one hand, climate change, with higher temperatures and increased humidity, is favoring the proliferation of mosquitoes; on the other, it is essential for doctors to recognize this infection early. Only in this way," warns the specialist, "can we avoid serious complications, especially in the most vulnerable patients."

Infectious disease specialists point out that, "unlike dengue, a person infected" by the West Nile virus "is unlikely to be a source of infection if bitten since in humans the infection is called terminally abortive (dead-end host)."