West Nile virus: Italy reports another victim of mosquito-borne disease, the first in Veneto.
The contagion
The woman was 81 years old and had underlying health conditions. She died within 24 hours. Italy is the country most affected by the virus in Europe.
Another victim of West Nile virus . In Rovigo , Adriana Meneghelli , 81, from Castelmassa , suffered from pre-existing conditions. She initially suffered neurological symptoms and a high fever. She was subsequently admitted to the Santa Maria della Misericordia hospital in Rovigo and diagnosed with the neuroinvasive form of the infection, which degenerated into encephalitis. She died within 24 hours. Meneghelli is the first victim of the virus in Veneto .
Italy remains the European country most affected by the outbreak, according to data released by the ECDC, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. A total of 335 infections have been recorded in eight EU countries, 80% in Italy, with 19 deaths in total. "Europe is entering a new phase, in which mosquito-borne disease transmission is becoming the norm," warned ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner.
The same Agency has released new guidelines to combat the spread of the virus. At the Rimini meeting, Lazio Region President Francesco Rocca spoke of a peak in infections and predicted "numbers will decline in the coming weeks." Experts, however, say infections are set to increase in the coming weeks, with the peak expected between late August and September.
What is West Nile virus?West Nile is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes, particularly those of the Culex pipiens genus. It primarily affects wild birds. The infection is transmitted by the common nocturnal mosquito, which bites from dusk to dawn. The infection is not transmissible from person to person. It is possible, but only in rare cases, can infection occur after blood transfusions, organ transplants, and transmission to the fetus during pregnancy. Approximately 80% of cases are asymptomatic . Individuals with immunosuppression or those with previous or multiple medical conditions are at greater risk.
Most people, as mentioned, show no symptoms. Approximately 20% of those infected experience fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes. These symptoms can last a few days or weeks and vary from person to person. More severe symptoms occur in less than 1% of infected people, including high fever, severe headache, muscle weakness, disorientation, tremors, vision changes, numbness, convulsions, and even paralysis and coma. Symptoms typically last a few days or a few weeks. The main precautions recommend the use of skin repellents and insecticides , and staying outdoors with appropriate clothing.
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