West Nile virus: 10 cases since the beginning of the year, 7 in Latina, but the data is in line with 2024.
The epidemiological trend of West Nile virus cases in humans nationwide is consistent with previous years. This was clarified by the Ministry of Health following the death of an 82-year-old woman in the province of Latina. This finding is also confirmed by data released by the National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), which shows that since the beginning of the year as of July 20, 10 cases have been confirmed in Italy, 7 of which are in Lazio, all in the province of Latina.
"Of the seven cases reported by the Lazio Region," the ISS explains, "six presented with the neuroinvasive form and one case with only feverish symptoms. Four cases are male, and the remaining three are female. The median age is 72 years (range: 63-86)."
Throughout 2024, 460 cases were reported to the surveillance system, of which 272 were neuroinvasive, resulting in 20 deaths. The July 24, 2024, bulletin reported 13 confirmed cases, with no deaths.
But what's happening? "In recent years, in Italy as in the rest of Europe," explain experts from the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA), "we are witnessing a profound and silent shift in the geography of infectious diseases, an evolution that doesn't have the roar of a global pandemic, but is insinuating itself into the folds of our daily lives."
Between 2006 and 2023, Italy recorded over 1,500 cases of dengue and more than 140 cases of imported chikungunya. However, the figure that requires urgent reflection, according to Sima, is the number of indigenous cases: nearly 500 people contracted these diseases nationwide. The viruses are transmitted by the tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, an invasive species now established throughout the peninsula, favored by rising average temperatures, mild winters, and increasingly longer summers. The areas most at risk are coastal zones and urban outskirts, where the combination of high population density and humid microenvironments, such as drains, plant pots, and garbage cans, creates the ideal habitat for mosquitoes to breed.
Rising global temperatures, combined with the increased frequency of extreme events such as sudden rainfall, floods, and droughts alternating with persistent humidity, are altering the range of vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies. The IPCC's "Climate Change 2022" report notes that the risk of arboviral transmission of dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever has increased by 30% globally in the last decade alone. In Europe, indigenous cases of dengue increased by 600% between 2010 and 2022, from 10 known episodes in 2010 to over 70 in 2022. This trend, if left unchecked, is set to rise.
What can we do, concretely, to protect public health? "First and foremost, constant entomological and virological surveillance is needed, especially during the warm months, from May to October. Prevention also involves everyday actions: eliminating stagnant water in courtyards, emptying plant saucers, covering bins, using mosquito nets and repellents, especially at dusk," explains SIMA President Alessandro Miani. "On a systemic level, however, it is essential to integrate human, animal, and environmental health according to the One Health approach, recognized by the WHO as the most effective way to address emerging health challenges. Targeted urban planning interventions, regulating pesticide use, improving urban drainage, and even screening travelers from endemic areas: all contribute to building widespread resilience."
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