In Italy, since the start of surveillance up to September 23, 2026, 700 confirmed cases of human West Nile Virus (WNV) infection have been reported. up 43 cases from the week prior.
Of these, 368 presented as the neuro-invasive form (including 5 imported cases: 1 from the Maldives, 1 from France, 1 from Belgium, 1 from Greece, and 1 from the Netherlands), 88 were asymptomatic cases identified in blood donors, 239 were cases of fever (1 imported case from Burkina Faso), 4 presented with other symptoms, and 1 was an asymptomatic case.
Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health Security
The number of provinces with confirmed WNV circulation has risen to 83, spanning 19 regions: Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Lombardy, the Autonomous Province of Trento, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia.
Among the confirmed cases, 54 deaths were reported (including one involving an imported case). The case-fatality rate, calculated based on the autochthonous neuro-invasive forms reported and confirmed to date, stands at 14.6%.