Stay vigilant against the West Nile virus, which is no longer talked about but continues to circulate, especially in Italy, with 139 human cases in 45 provinces (and with the cities of Campobasso and Viterbo reporting locally acquired infections for the first time). Efsa – the European Food Safety Authority – today releases a snapshot as of August 5 in Europe, made in collaboration with the Ecdc (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control), with a final recommendation: protect yourselves.
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“Although lower compared to the same period in 2025,” comments Giusi Amore, scientific officer of the Biological Risks, Animal Health and Welfare Unit of the Authority in Parma, “the number of human cases affected by WNV in Italy remains high, as does the number of outbreaks reported among birds, and this means that transmission continues to be substantial.” And this is the point. Unlike humans and equids – considered dead-end hosts – mosquitoes and birds contribute to sustaining the cycle. The former, in fact, become infected when they bite and suck the blood of an infected bird: acting as vectors, they spread the virus to other animals. Currently, seven European countries are affected by 245 human cases of WNV infection (there have been twelve deaths). The same seven countries have reported outbreaks in birds and/or equids (17 outbreaks among equids and 74 among birds). Human cases come from 58 European regions, compared to 40 regions in six countries a year ago. After Italy (with 56.7% of human cases and 75.8% of outbreaks in equids and birds), Greece is the most exposed country, with 65 cases (26.5%), but with only five outbreaks in equines and no outbreaks among birds. In Europe, similarly to previous years, most human cases occur in males aged 65 or older. In most cases, it has led to hospitalization (72%) and neurological symptoms (58%). “The persistence of the virus,” says Amore, “can be partly explained by favorable climatic conditions and ecological hotspots, such as wetlands and agricultural areas, which can favor the proliferation of mosquitoes and wild animals involved in the spread of the virus. Also, intense surveillance in Italy may contribute to the high reporting rates.”
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But caution is mandatory. “Since transmission usually peaks in August and September, it is important to inform the population that they must protect themselves from mosquito bites by using repellents, mosquito nets, and eliminating stagnant water around homes,” concludes Liese Van Gompel, scientific officer for foodborne, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases at the ECDC.
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