Italy Reports its First Indigenous Case of Dengue Fever this Year

Italy Reports its First Indigenous Case of Dengue Fever this Year

Italy has reported its first indigenous case of dengue fever for 2024 in a patient who had not traveled abroad, according to Italian health authorities on Thursday. 

The provincial health authority of Brescia in northern Italy stated, "The individual who tested positive for dengue fever is in good clinical condition." Mosquito control efforts, including the installation of mosquito traps, have been initiated in areas where the patient lived and worked.

Matteo Bassetti, head of the epidemiology department at San Martino Hospital in Genoa, raised the question of whether this was truly the first indigenous case of the year or merely the first recognized one. He noted on X, "Dengue should now be considered a potential diagnosis even outside endemic areas when suspicious symptoms appear."

Dengue is a viral illness that typically causes high fever and, in rare cases, can lead to a more severe form with significant bleeding. Fatalities are very uncommon.

An indigenous case indicates that the person has not recently traveled to regions where the virus is commonly spread by tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus). The presence of these mosquitoes has been increasing in southern European countries like Italy, France, and Spain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has attributed this rise in cases partly to climate change, with weather patterns such as heavy rainfall, humidity, and higher temperatures creating favorable conditions for mosquito breeding and virus transmission.

In 2023, Italy recorded over 80 indigenous dengue cases, while France had about 50, according to WHO data. Hundreds of cases involving people infected abroad are also reported.