Mary Wilson
Well-known member
Volume 30, Issue 2, Jan/2025
https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.2.2400203
Fotakis Emmanouil Alexandros, Di Maggio Elisa, Del Manso Martina, Mateo-Urdiales Alberto, Petrone Daniele, Fabiani Massimo, Perego Giulia, Bella Antonino, Bongiorno Gioia, Bernardini Ilaria, Di Luca Marco, Venturi Giulietta, Fortuna Claudia, Giannitelli Stefania, Ferraro Federica, Maraglino Francesco, Pezzotti Patrizio, Palamara Anna Teresa, Riccardo Flavia, Italian Arbovirus Surveillance network.
Abstract
Background
Toscana virus (TOSV) is transmitted to humans through bites of infected sand flies. Neuroinvasive TOSV infections are leading causes of meningitis/encephalitis in southern Europe and notifiable in Italy since 2016. In 2022–23, Italy experienced extreme climate anomalies and a concomitant increase in mosquito and tick-borne disease transmission.
Aim
To identify the spatiotemporal distribution and risk groups of neuroinvasive TOSV infections in Italy in 2022–23 vs 2016–21.
Methods
We retrospectively described all autochthonous, laboratory-confirmed neuroinvasive TOSV cases notified to the national surveillance system in 2016–23 using frequencies, proportions, incidences and incidence risk ratios (IRRs) with 95% CIs, stratified by year, sex, age, region/autonomous province (AP) of infection/exposure and infection/exposure municipality by urbanisation level.
Results
In 2022–23, 276 cases were notified (average annual incidence: 2.34/1,000,000 population) vs 331 cases in 2016–21 (0.92/1,000,000), with increased incidence extending into September. In 2022–23, infections were acquired in 12/21 regions/APs, predominantly in Emilia Romagna (57.6%; 159/276) as in 2016–21, including four regions/APs with no local infections in 2016–21. Similar to 2016–21, during 2022–23 residence in rural municipalities (vs urban), male sex, working age (19–67 years) and age > 67 years (vs ≤ 18 years) were identified as risk factors with IRRs of 2.89 (95% CI: 2.01–4.17), 2.17 (95% CI: 1.66–2.84), 5.31 (95% CI: 2.81–10.0) and 5.06 (95% CI: 2.59–9.86), respectively.
Conclusion
Italy experienced a nearly 2.6-fold increase in neuroinvasive TOSV incidence in 2022–23 vs 2016–21. Raising public awareness on risk factors and personal protection measures may enhance prevention efforts.
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.2.2400203#html_fulltext
https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.2.2400203
Fotakis Emmanouil Alexandros, Di Maggio Elisa, Del Manso Martina, Mateo-Urdiales Alberto, Petrone Daniele, Fabiani Massimo, Perego Giulia, Bella Antonino, Bongiorno Gioia, Bernardini Ilaria, Di Luca Marco, Venturi Giulietta, Fortuna Claudia, Giannitelli Stefania, Ferraro Federica, Maraglino Francesco, Pezzotti Patrizio, Palamara Anna Teresa, Riccardo Flavia, Italian Arbovirus Surveillance network.
Abstract
Background
Toscana virus (TOSV) is transmitted to humans through bites of infected sand flies. Neuroinvasive TOSV infections are leading causes of meningitis/encephalitis in southern Europe and notifiable in Italy since 2016. In 2022–23, Italy experienced extreme climate anomalies and a concomitant increase in mosquito and tick-borne disease transmission.
Aim
To identify the spatiotemporal distribution and risk groups of neuroinvasive TOSV infections in Italy in 2022–23 vs 2016–21.
Methods
We retrospectively described all autochthonous, laboratory-confirmed neuroinvasive TOSV cases notified to the national surveillance system in 2016–23 using frequencies, proportions, incidences and incidence risk ratios (IRRs) with 95% CIs, stratified by year, sex, age, region/autonomous province (AP) of infection/exposure and infection/exposure municipality by urbanisation level.
Results
In 2022–23, 276 cases were notified (average annual incidence: 2.34/1,000,000 population) vs 331 cases in 2016–21 (0.92/1,000,000), with increased incidence extending into September. In 2022–23, infections were acquired in 12/21 regions/APs, predominantly in Emilia Romagna (57.6%; 159/276) as in 2016–21, including four regions/APs with no local infections in 2016–21. Similar to 2016–21, during 2022–23 residence in rural municipalities (vs urban), male sex, working age (19–67 years) and age > 67 years (vs ≤ 18 years) were identified as risk factors with IRRs of 2.89 (95% CI: 2.01–4.17), 2.17 (95% CI: 1.66–2.84), 5.31 (95% CI: 2.81–10.0) and 5.06 (95% CI: 2.59–9.86), respectively.
Conclusion
Italy experienced a nearly 2.6-fold increase in neuroinvasive TOSV incidence in 2022–23 vs 2016–21. Raising public awareness on risk factors and personal protection measures may enhance prevention efforts.
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.2.2400203#html_fulltext