West Nile neuroinvasive case hospitalized in Naples, Italy

West Nile virus neuroinvasive Naples Marano Cotugno Hospital

A 76‑77‑year‑old man from Marano, a suburb north of Naples, presented at the Cto emergency department with fever and neurological symptoms. Blood tests and a lumbar puncture confirmed a neuroinvasive West Nile virus infection (encephalitis). He was transferred to the Cotugno Hospital, which specialises in infectious diseases, where his condition improved rapidly and discharge was expected within hours.

The case is the sixth symptomatic West Nile infection recorded in Campania during the summer of 2026. Health authorities note that the region suffered 151 cases and 13 deaths in the summer of 2025, mainly in the province of Caserta. Epidemiologist Gianni Rezza criticised that the national West Nile surveillance system remains blocked because of privacy‑related delays in implementing a new digital platform, limiting up‑to‑date data. Officials continue to advise personal protection against mosquito bites and removal of standing water to limit further spread.

Entities: Argeș County · Campania · Campania region · Cotugno Hospital · Cotugno Hospital · Cto (Azienda dei Colli) Emergency Department · Gianni Rezza · Institutul Național de Sănătate Publică · Institutul Național de Sănătate Publică (INSP) · Marano · Marano di Napoli · National Institute of Public Health (INSP)

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] Campania recorded 151 West Nile cases and 13 deaths in 2025, mainly in the province of Caserta.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Two elderly Romanian patients with comorbidities died from West Nile virus infection.
[● 3 SOURCES] The first neuro‑invasive West Nile case in Italy in 2026 involved a 77‑year‑old man from Marano hospitalized in Naples.
[● 2 SOURCES] Eight West Nile virus infections were recorded in Romania between 3 June and 23 July 2026. (eight infections in Romania summer 2026)
[● 2 SOURCES] Romanian cases occurred in Argeș, Botoșani, Cluj, Iași, Mureș, Suceava (two cases) and Bucharest. (specific Romanian counties)
[● 3 SOURCES] Health authorities recommend using repellents, wearing long sleeves and trousers, installing window screens, and removing standing water to prevent West Nile infection. (prevention recommendations)
[● 3 SOURCES] The patient's condition improved rapidly and discharge was expected within hours. (Gianni Rezza)
[● 2 SOURCES] The Naples case is the sixth symptomatic West Nile case reported in Campania during summer 2026. (sixth symptomatic case in Campania summer 2026)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Romanian cases were reported in the counties of Argeș, Botoșani, Cluj, Iași, Mureș, Suceava (two cases) and Bucharest. (54471553-375a-4fee-87d8-b954824b0442)
[● 4 SOURCES] The first neuroinvasive West Nile virus case in Italy in 2026 was identified in Naples, affecting a 77‑year‑old man from Marano. (first neuroinvasive case in Italy, Naples)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Eight West Nile virus infection cases were recorded in Romania between 3 June and 23 July 2026. (54471553-375a-4fee-87d8-b954824b0442)
[● 2 SOURCES] Two deaths occurred among the West Nile virus cases in Romania. (two deaths in Romania)