Where is West Nile fever? Lessons learnt from recent human cases in northern Italy

F Gobbi; G Napoletano; C Piovesan; F Russo; A Angheben; A Rossanese; A M Cattelan; L Gallo; M Valsecchi; A Piazza; G Venturi; Z Bisoffi

doi:10.2807/ese.14.10.19143-en

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Where is West Nile fever? Lessons learnt from recent human cases in northern Italy
F Gobbi^1,2 , G Napoletano¹ , C Piovesan³ , F Russo³ , A Angheben² , A Rossanese² , A M Cattelan⁴ , L Gallo⁵ , M Valsecchi¹ , A Piazza⁶ , G Venturi⁷ , Z Bisoffi²
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Affiliations: ¹ Department of Prevention, ULSS 20, Verona, Italy ² Centre for Tropical Diseases, Sacro Cuore Hospital, Negrar (Verona), Italy ³ Direction of Prevention, Veneto region, Venice, Italy ⁴ Unit of Infectious Diseases, Rovigo Hospital, Italy ⁵ Department of Prevention, ULSS 18 Rovigo, Italy ⁶ Unit of Microbiology and Virology, Padua Hospital, Italy ⁷ Department of Public Health, Local Health Unit, Ravenna, Italy

Correspondence:
F Gobbi
fgobbi ulss20.verona.it
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Citation style for this article: Gobbi F, Napoletano G, Piovesan C, Russo F, Angheben A, Rossanese A, Cattelan A M, Gallo L, Valsecchi M, Piazza A, Venturi G, Bisoffi Z. Where is West Nile fever? Lessons learnt from recent human cases in northern Italy. Euro Surveill. 2009;14(10):pii=19143. https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.14.10.19143-en Received: 02 Mar 2009

Abstract

West Nile disease in humans has been detected for the first time in Italy in two regions, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. Surveillance subsequently set up in Veneto detected a case of West Nile neuroinvasive disease and a few asymptomatic infections, but no case of West Nile fever. We conclude that also West Nile fever cases should be specifically targeted by surveillance.