The Lazio regional government said Thursday that people in the region that Rome belongs to currently have West Nile Virus after 12 new cases were detected.
It said all of the cases were in the province of Latina, south of Rome. The number of cases is 21 if one counts that of an 82-year-old woman who died of the disease at the weekend.
Italian health officials have reported a sharp increase in West Nile virus cases, with nine infections confirmed in Campania and additional cases emerging in the Lazio region.
The spike follows the death of an 82-year-old woman in Latina on July 20. National case numbers have doubled in recent days, rising from 10 to 21 in 2025, with two fatalities confirmed.
In Campania, eight patients are currently hospitalized—four of them in intensive care at the Moscati Hospital in Aversa and the Cotugno Hospital in Naples. Another case involves a vulnerable but asymptomatic patient under observation at Cardarelli Hospital. Most individuals had recently visited Baia Domizia in Caserta province, where a localized cluster is suspected.
Two new cases have also been identified in Lazio, bringing that region’s total to nine this year, all in the province of Latina.
West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and is not spread from person to person. However, in rare instances, the virus can be contracted through blood transfusions, organ transplants, or from mother to child during pregnancy.
Preventive measures are in place nationwide, including intensified mosquito control efforts and enhanced safety protocols for blood and organ donations. Health authorities have activated provisions under the National Arbovirus Prevention and Surveillance Plan (2020–2025), which mandates integrated monitoring of both human and animal cases.
A circular issued by the Ministry of Health has been sent to regional governments, medical associations, and veterinary institutes, urging strengthened surveillance for both West Nile and Usutu viruses.
“We are thoroughly assessing the situation,” said Campania Governor Vincenzo De Luca. “The issue is real, but at present we have no reason for particular alarm.”
Medical experts continue to warn that individuals with weakened immune systems or multiple chronic conditions are at greater risk of developing severe complications from the virus.
