Regional plan
As part of the prevention activities outlined in the 2026 Regional Arbovirus Plan, the Regional Directorate of Health and Welfare announces that West Nile virus circulation has been detected in the province of Perugia. The virus was isolated in several magpies as part of ongoing monitoring of wild birds, conducted in collaboration with the regional hunting authorities (ATCs), confirming the full effectiveness of the Umbrian monitoring network.
Population reassured
The government intends to reassure the public that West Nile virus is not transmitted through direct contact between people or from animal to animal. The infection is contracted exclusively through the bite of infected mosquitoes, particularly the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens), which have previously bitten infected wild birds, which are the natural reservoir of the virus. Indeed, the constant monitoring of the magpie (Pica pica), a sedentary "target species" for active surveillance, allows experts to detect the presence of the virus in the environment well in advance, before it can affect humans or other animals. For the province of Perugia, classified as a high-risk area, the regional plan establishes a very rigorous program that calls for as many as four hundred samplings of these species.
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Security measures
The detection of the virus immediately triggered the implementation of protocols designed to ensure maximum public health protection. On the transfusion front, safety measures have already been implemented for blood and blood component donations in the affected area, to eliminate any potential risk. At the same time, the affected municipalities have been urged to immediately strengthen larvicidal treatments and mosquito control measures in the most vulnerable areas, while monitoring continues every two weeks using dedicated traps to assess insect density across the area.
Checks on equines
Complementing its control efforts, the Umbria Region emphasizes that ongoing health checks on equines are also ongoing. Horses, like humans, cannot transmit the infection to other animals, but year-round veterinary surveillance ensures continuous observation and timely intervention to detect any neurological symptoms and record them in national information systems within 24 hours. Thanks to the synergy between the various public health sectors and the integrated "One Health" approach, the Umbria Region guarantees rigorous and continuous surveillance to safeguard the health of its citizens and the safety of the entire region. (Source: Umbria Region – AUN)
