2 more die from West Nile virus in Italy’s Campania, Lazio regions

ISTANBUL

Two elderly men have died from the West Nile virus in Italy’s southern Campania region and central Lazio region, bringing the total number of fatalities up to 17, local authorities said Monday.

In Campania, an 83-year-old pensioner from Capua passed away at Sant’Anna and San Sebastiano Hospital in Caserta after his condition worsened over the past few days, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

He is the eighth person to die from the virus in Caserta province.

Capua Mayor Adolfo Villani has ordered precautionary measures to be taken in the area where the victim lived, including the cleaning of uncultivated land, disused swimming pools, and other sites where stagnant water could accumulate, potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The second victim, an 85-year-old man from Cori in the province of Latina, died on Monday morning at Santa Maria Goretti Hospital. He was admitted on August 2 in critical condition and was suffering from other health issues. The death is the ninth West Nile virus fatality in the Lazio region.

West Nile virus is primarily transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause severe neurological disease in some cases, particularly among the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.