West Nile virus: Alert rises with eight hospitalizations in Campania and two more cases in Lazio.

Two new cases have been reported in Lazio, where a death was also recorded in Latina in recent days; eight in Campania, with four people in intensive care; and four confirmed cases in Veneto since the second week of July. West Nile virus is spreading like wildfire in Italy's most at-risk areas: humid, coastal, and lagoon areas. "It's an infection we've been aware of for some time and have also addressed nationwide last year," says Alessandro Perrella , director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Cotugno Hospital in Naples. "The symptoms are similar to the flu, and in some cases, those with a predisposition for immunosuppression may require hospitalization, but there's no cause for alarm at this time. I don't think there have ever been any outbreaks in the past that would have caused global concern, so I wouldn't be worried."

Campania Region President Vincenzo De Luca also believes there is no reason for particular alarm. "We are carefully examining the general characteristics of these new viruses," he emphasizes. "We don't have any widespread outbreaks; we have individual episodes that are absolutely under control. Obviously, we will need to monitor this with the necessary attention, but we have all the technical and scientific resources to keep the situation under control."

But what is driving the spread of West Nile? "It's due to heavy rains followed by heatwaves and bird migration routes," explains the Italian Society of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, "which have favored the proliferation of mosquitoes and the amplification of the West Nile virus transmission cycle." This is a clear example of how human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. In Italy, the virus is endemic, particularly in Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, while the recent epidemic cluster in Campania "may already have several hundred asymptomatic cases, considering that only 1-2% of infections result in hospitalization." "The problem is that symptoms are often mild or absent, making it difficult to estimate the true spread of the virus," says Antonio Sorice , president of Simevep. "What is certain is that only a One Health approach can ensure an effective response, based on integrated surveillance and multidisciplinary collaboration." For this reason, the experimental zooprophylactic institutes are also in the field, starting with the one in Lazio and Tuscany which, according to commissioner Stefano Palomba , "is carrying out analyses and surveys within a five-kilometer radius of the area where the unfortunately fatal case occurred in Latina".

Since 2018, over 247 indigenous human cases of neuroinvasive disease have been reported. The 2020-2025 National Arbovirus Prevention Plan, promoted by the Ministry of Health, calls for integrated human-animal-environment surveillance. Veterinary services play a crucial role in monitoring the virus in wild birds, horses, and mosquitoes, providing early warning of risk areas. "In some cases, the virus was detected in vectors up to nine days before the first human case, demonstrating the effectiveness of veterinary surveillance," emphasizes Maurizio Ferri , scientific coordinator of SIMEVEP. "The data collected is shared in real time with the National Blood Center and the National Transplant Center to implement safety measures for donations and transplants."

Attention remains high on prevention measures: in addition to local disinfestation plans, safety procedures have also been implemented for blood donations and transplants. The infection—transmitted to humans by mosquitoes and not transmissible from person to person—can in rare cases also occur following blood transfusions, organ transplants, and vertical transmission during pregnancy. A ministerial circular, announced in recent days, has been sent to regional governments, medical associations, and animal health institutions, urging them to "strengthen surveillance of human cases of West Nile Virus and Usutu Virus infection and all integrated veterinary surveillance activities." The Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases (IRCCS) also held an operational meeting with 290 doctors. The directives emphasize the need to promote and intensify remediation and disinfestation interventions in the affected areas; Further inform and raise awareness among the population about the importance of mosquito bite protection; continuously train healthcare professionals in the correct diagnosis and management of cases; promptly report suspected cases of arbovirus to public health and hygiene services; and send biological samples to the reference laboratory for diagnosis.