49 West Nile Virus Fatalities Confirmed in Italy

In Italy, where the West Nile virus (WNV) has become endemic, a total of 718 confirmed cases, including 49 related fatalities, have been reported in 2025.

As of October 3, 2025, the most affected regions are Lazio (252 cases), Campania (124 cases), and Veneto (91 cases).

As of September 2025, Italy accounted for 76.3% of all reported human cases and for 79.6% of all reported outbreaks in equids and birds, underscoring the significant WNV activity in the country. 

Italy is not alone in reporting mosquito-transmitted WNV cases this year in Europe, as Albania, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and Türkiye have confirmed cases to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Following several years of research, WNV vaccines remain unavailable in 2025.