West Nile virus infections are rising. Record cases in Lazio: "The peak will be in a fortnight."

Another death from West Nile virus, the ninth in Italy. The death occurred in the Caserta area, where four people have died in just a few days: a 76-year-old man from the province of Salerno, but a resident of a nursing home in Grazzanise. The man, whose medical condition was already compromised, like the other three deceased patients, had been hospitalized in recent days and then transferred to the nursing home. This morning, a 73-year-old man from Maddaloni died at the Caserta hospital.

Previously, there had been reports of the death of a 68-year-old man from Trentola Ducenta, in the province of Caserta: the man, according to what has been learned, died at the hospital in Aversa.

The death toll for 2025 therefore counts 1 death in Piedmont, 3 in Lazio and 5 in Campania.

"The increase in the number of West Nile virus cases" in Lazio, "reported to the surveillance system and sent for diagnosis to the regional reference laboratory at Spallanzani" in Rome, "highlights the effectiveness of the regional surveillance network and the outreach efforts among physicians, particularly general practitioners," stated Francesco Vairo, director of the Regional Service for Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Control of Infectious Diseases (Seresmi) - Spallanzani.

"Strengthening the system," he emphasizes, "ensures careful monitoring of patients who may progress to neurological conditions and assesses the extent of circulation with consequent vector control interventions."

West Nile (Rainews)

The President of the Lazio Region, Francesco Rocca, has signed an urgent ordinance to prevent the spread of the West Nile virus .

The ordinance requires municipalities in the region experiencing ongoing viral circulation to urgently and without delay implement extraordinary vector control measures, particularly pest control , as directed by the competent local health authorities. This measure is supported by the Lazio and Tuscany Zooprophylactic Institute, which will monitor the activities and interventions for the purpose of granting the contribution.

The ordinance requires municipalities in the region experiencing ongoing viral circulation to urgently and without delay implement extraordinary vector control measures, particularly disinfestation, as directed by the competent local health authorities. This is done in collaboration with the Lazio and Tuscany Zooprophylactic Institute, which verifies the activities and interventions for the purpose of granting the contribution.

The Region specifies that these interventions will be funded by extraordinary financial resources allocated by the Lazio Region through a specific regional council resolution.

Is it alarming? "In reality, there doesn't seem to be an increase in cases compared to those we've seen in previous years," reiterates infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti. However, this year's caseload "involves different regions, especially Lazio and Campania," specifies the head physician at the IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital in Genoa. "Let's avoid alarmism," he recommends, "and try to provide very precise instructions" to citizens. For example, on when it's best to contact a hospital, so as not to overwhelm emergency rooms, which are already dealing with the difficulties of the summer season.

Climate change and extreme temperatures like those recorded recently are also a growing challenge for the millions of people affected by rheumatic diseases. "Phenomena such as heat waves, increased humidity, and air pollution can influence the onset and flare-ups of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and gout, also leading to an increase in hospitalizations," explains Andrea Doria , current president of SIR.

West Nile Virus in Italy - What is it? (Ministry of Health)

It is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes , particularly those of the Culex pipiens genus , which primarily affects wild birds. Mosquitoes become infected by biting birds and sometimes transmit the virus to accidental hosts such as horses and humans. The mosquito that transmits West Nile virus is not the tiger mosquito, but rather our nocturnal common mosquito, which bites from dusk to dawn. Other possible transmission routes include blood transfusions and organ transplants from infected donors, and even more rarely, congenital infections transmitted from mother to fetus through human milk have been reported.

West Nile Virus in Italy - Symptoms (Ministry of Health)

Most infected people show no symptoms . Of those who do show symptoms, about 20% experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes. These symptoms can last a few days, or in rare cases, a few weeks, and can vary greatly depending on the person's age.

West Nile Virus in Italy - Recommendations (Ministry of Health)

A mild fever is more common in children, while symptoms in young people include moderately high fever, red eyes, headache, and muscle aches. In the elderly and debilitated, however, symptoms can be more severe. The most 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 changes, numbness, convulsions, and even paralysis and coma. Some neurological effects may be permanent.

To prevent the virus from being transmitted through transfusions, the National Blood Center (CNS) has recommended testing for West Nile virus (WNI) as an alternative to a 28-day temporary suspension of donations for all donors who have spent even one night in areas affected by the virus. CNS Director Luciana Teofili assures that donations are "safe." This is thanks to the measures in place, which also include specific testing of blood bags collected in provinces where the virus is circulating. This surveillance system has also allowed approximately 230 cases of West Nile virus infection to be detected among the donor population between 2020 and 2024.

West Nile fever, like dengue, "is a disease caused by a virus" carried by mosquitoes, although "the dynamics of spread are different. While for dengue the cycle is human-tiger mosquito-human, for West Nile the reservoirs are birds and the vector is the common mosquito that infects humans by biting them. In this context, crows and seagulls in cities could influence the epidemiology of some infectious diseases, including West Nile . Fortunately, for now, no problems have been reported in cities and it is not certain that they will ever happen." This is explained by Gianni Rezza, former director of Prevention at the Ministry of Health and now associate professor of Hygiene at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. But how will West Nile evolve this summer in our country? "National data," Rezza emphasized on social media, "do not show an excess of cases compared to previous years, but there is evidence of an expansion of the outbreaks, which this year, at least for now, are more active in some areas of central and southern Italy (provinces of Latina, Anzio/Nettuno, province of Caserta) than in the Po Valley. Historical data from recent years show an increase in cases in August and then a decreasing trend starting in September. This isn't a rule, but it's what we've consistently observed, and it's not certain that it will be observed (for better or worse) this summer too, given climate change and the anticipated heatwaves."