Health Alerts

This year’s West Nile virus (WNV) season started early in Italy; the case count has already climbed to 94 and there have been seven related deaths. The ECDC noted the high proportion of cases suffering West Nile neuroinvasive disease (58 percent) is possibly due to under-reporting of mild infections that may be confused with COVID-19 symptoms. It also advised that during the current peak holiday season, which is expected to be busier than usual, travellers to WNV transmission areas (in the endemic areas in Europe) must be advised of ‘the risk of exposure and the importance of the use of personal protective measures to avoid mosquito bites’. Read more