Rimini soldier Rocco Aurilia dies from rare neurodegenerative disease

Rocco Aurilia, a 42-year-old sergeant major serving in the 7th Army Aviation Regiment “Vega” based in Rimini, has died following a rapid decline caused by a rare neurodegenerative disease.

Symptoms first appeared in late May, leading to medical investigations at the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena. Doctors suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an extremely rare and aggressive condition affecting the central nervous system. After his condition worsened, Aurilia was transferred to a hospice in Rimini, where he passed away on August 13, less than three months after the onset of symptoms.

A funeral service was held at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Miramare to honor the soldier, who had built his career in the Italian Army after joining at a young age.