Grosseto man dies from West Nile virus complications

An 89-year-old man, Velio Giuggioli, has died at the Misericordia Hospital in Grosseto after contracting the West Nile virus. Giuggioli, a former city councilor and assessor, developed severe encephalitis, a serious neurological complication of the infection, following exposure in the Marina di Grosseto area.

This marks the first death from the virus in Tuscany. Local health authorities, Asl Toscana sud est, have reported five autochthonous cases in the province of Grosseto, part of 17 total cases identified in the health authority's territory this summer. In response to a cluster in Grosseto, the municipality has initiated extraordinary disinfection measures, including larvicidal and adulticidal treatments.

According to the latest arbovirus bulletin from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy has recorded 657 confirmed West Nile cases as of September 15, resulting in 51 deaths. The virus is primarily transmitted through infected mosquito bites and, while often asymptomatic or mild, can lead to neuroinvasive forms in vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly.