Salerno, at “Ruggi” first possible case of “West Nile Virus”

Identified at the department of University Infectious Disease Clinicdirected by prof. Easter Pagliano assisted by Dr. Clear of loveof the “Roars” of Salerno the first probable case of encephalitis from “West Nile Virus” in the province of Salerno. The serological test was processed in the same laboratory as the “Ruggi” and the expected diagnostic confirmation procedures carried out by theNational Institute of Health.

The patient, presumably affected by the virus, is a 59 year old man undergoing chemotherapy for oncological disease and with subsequent encephalitis, resident in the area of Silent AltavillaThis area is regularly subjected to ordinary disinfestation and, at the moment, thanks to the prompt interaction between the AOU and the Prevention Department of the ASL Salerno, an action is underway reclamation targeted territorial as well as a planning of further extraordinary interventions in order to secure the territory and to combat the presence of mosquitoes, which represent the most common transmission route of the virus by becoming infected, in turn, by biting an infected migratory bird. Other possible and rarer transmission routes are represented by transfusions, organ transplants and from mother to fetus.

West Nile Virus is mostly present in Italy Po Valley and the climate tropicalization which we are witnessing is favoring its development in theMediterranean area. It is important to consider, however, that only one case in ten becomes symptomatic. In fact, West Nile disease usually has a spontaneous course, often asymptomatic or with symptoms, which vary according to age, that regress after a few days; only the most serious cases require hospitalization and concern risk categories such as the elderly and frail patients.