West Nile virus infection in Veneto region, Italy, 2008-2009.
We report here an update on human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in Veneto region, northeastern Italy. In addition to two cases of WNV neuroinvasive disease notified through a surveillance programme started in September 2008, further four cases were retrospectively identified (in May 2009) by investigating patients with aseptic meningoencephalitis of unknown aetiology occurring in Veneto region in June-September 2008. All six patients had symptom onset in August-September 2008 and were resident in a wetland area close to the Po river delta in Rovigo province. Further five cases of asymptomatic WNV infection, including four residents of the same area in Rovigo, were identified in a seroprevalence study in farm workers from Veneto region. To date, no human cases have been notified in 2009.
Barzon
L
L
Department of Histology, Microbiology and Medical Biotechnology, University of Padua, Italy.
Squarzon
L
L
Cattai
M
M
Franchin
E
E
Pagni
S
S
Cusinato
R
R
Palu
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult