Dengue alert over mosquitoes in Italy

In Italy, data published by Meteoweb.eu have substantiated the public health concern regarding mosquitoes as vectors for viral diseases, including Dengue fever. From January 1 to December 3, 2024, the national surveillance system documented 693 confirmed instances of Dengue fever, comprising 213 autochthonous and 480 imported cases. Furthermore, the surveillance identified 7 cases of Zika Virus, 15 of Chikungunya, 50 neuro-invasive infections resulting from Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), and 90 confirmed cases of Toscana Virus. The city of Fano, located in the province of Pesaro, experienced the highest incidence in 2024, with an outbreak exceeding 130 autochthonous Dengue fever cases. Consequently, the municipal government enacted an ordinance mandating preventative measures for citizens, public institutions, and private organizations to control the development and proliferation of mosquito larvae. The Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) has stated that there is no specific antiviral treatment approved for Dengue virus infection; management of both mild and severe manifestations relies on symptomatic and supportive care. In the most critical cases, representing approximately 5% of symptomatic individuals, the mortality rate may reach 10-15%. Regarding prevention, two tetravalent vaccines containing live attenuated viruses are currently available, though only one is marketed in Italy.