Italian health authorities have confirmed that five people have died this year due to the West Nile Virus (WNV).
The latest victim was an 80-year-old man with serious underlying health conditions who died in Naples. Last week, a 74-year-old man with kidney problems also died from complications related to the virus, also in Naples.
Earlier, three other deaths were reported in the Latina area — south of Rome — and in the city of Novara, near Turin.
Doctors emphasized that in most cases, West Nile Virus infections are asymptomatic or cause mild flu-like symptoms. However, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of severe neurological complications.
Compared to last year, the overall number of cases remains stable, but a higher share has been recorded in the Latina region, an agricultural area historically prone to mosquito-borne diseases like malaria. So far, 28 cases have been confirmed in the region.
