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