A 72-year-old man with pre-existing conditions has been hospitalized in critical condition after testing positive for West Nile virus in Oristano, Sardinia. The local health authority (ASL) confirmed the case today but maintained strict confidentiality, disclosing only that the patient is receiving care at San Martino Hospital. Serological tests were conducted following symptom onset, with the University Hospital of Cagliari verifying the diagnosis this morning. Health officials have initiated containment protocols, including epidemiological investigations, neighborhood delimitation, and disinfection requests to provincial authorities.
Separately, two recent fatalities linked to the virus were reported in southern Italy. A 74-year-old man from Pomigliano d’Arco died last Friday at Naples’ Hospital del Mare after developing fever, confusion, and kidney failure during treatment for digestive hemorrhage. In Lazio, an 86-year-old man—among the region’s earliest cases—succumbed at Santa Maria Goretti Hospital in Latina. Both had serious comorbidities.
Additionally, an 80-year-old man from Maddaloni died yesterday at Caserta Hospital, where another elderly resident remains hospitalized with West Nile. In Rome, a 77-year-old cardiac transplant recipient with chronic illnesses died at Spallanzani Institute after recently staying in Baia Domizia (Caserta province), a known hotspot for infections.