Three people have died in Italy from West Nile virus infection, including a 77-year-old man in Rome and an 80-year-old man in Campania, while the first victim was an 82-year-old woman in the province of Latina. Italian media report that all three suffered from serious chronic diseases.
According to health authorities, a total of 44 cases of the virus have been confirmed in 2025, mainly in the provinces of Latina and Rome. Of these, 18 patients are hospitalized, 2 in intensive care, 19 are being treated at home, while 3 have been discharged from the hospital.
The virus is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes and can cause mild symptoms in most people infected, but in rare cases it can lead to serious neurological complications or death. The most affected municipalities are in Lazio and Caserta.
What is West Nile and how does it manifest itself?
West Nile virus (WNV) was first isolated in 1937 in Uganda, in the West Nile district from which it takes its name. Today, it is widespread in Africa, Western Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. Most infected people do not show symptoms. Of those who do, approximately 20% experience mild symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rash.
The most severe symptoms are seen on average in less than 1% of infected people: high fever, severe headache, muscle weakness, disorientation, tremors, vision changes, drowsiness, seizures, even paralysis and coma. In approximately one in a thousand cases, West Nile Fever can cause fatal encephalitis.
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