An old man in Ferrara, an infected mosquito, is dead

A 77-year-old man was admitted to the Policlinico di Cona (Ferrara) after contracting the West Nile virus which was transmitted to him by the bite of an infected mosquito. According to what is learned, the elderly who had previously had previous cardiorespiratory problems, were admitted for the first time to Cento after a fall on July 24th.

The next day, however, was transferred to Cona hospital following the worsening of its health conditions . The man is diagnosed with West Nile encephalitis [VIDEO] an important neurological complication that has proved fatal. Due to the problems badociated with the infection, which add to the previous ones, its condition worsened until death.

Marco Libanore, director of infectious diseases at the Ferrara Hospital, in an interview with Adnkronos, explains that since 2008 in the province of Ferrara, there are up to 3-4 cases of West Nile every summer, with the only exception of the 2010-11 season. Libanore emphasizes that the most affected patients are those who are already fragile, for example with heart disease or suffering from respiratory problems

Nile Virus: the arrival in Italy

Our country has the largest number reported cases. This pathology takes its name from the district of Uganda, where the pathogen was isolated for the first time. The reservoir of virus [VIDEO] is represented by birds. As a result, humans, horses and other mammals can become infected with mosquitoes that come into contact with the birds carrying the virus.

The infection transmitted to humans is asymptomatic in most cases, but in one in every 150 cases it can cause meningoencephalitis, which is often fatal, especially in the elderly.

Since 2008, she is active in our surveillance plan for the detection of the virus, between June and October, in samples of mosquitoes and other sentinel animals, namely birds and horses. After the isolation of the virus in Hungary in 2004, it is believed that variant 2 reached our country about ten years ago. Variant 2 of the virus was isolated for the first time outside of Africa in 2004 in wild birds captured in Hungary. It has spread in the Balkan peninsula and in the eastern Mediterranean; eight years ago caused an epidemic in northern Greece.