From January 1 to October 29, 2024, Italy has reported 667 confirmed cases of dengue, according to the national surveillance system. Of these cases, 460 are linked to international travel, while 207 are autochthonous, meaning they were locally transmitted. The average age of those infected is 45, with 50% being male. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported. Although several outbreaks have been detected in the country, no new human infections have been confirmed in the last seventeen days.
This health alert highlights the most significant outbreak in the Marche Region, where 141 symptomatic cases have been confirmed in a single municipality. Although the outbreak remains active, the risk of new cases is expected to remain low in the coming weeks, given the absence of recent transmissions. Besides Marche, smaller outbreaks and isolated cases have been identified in other northern and central regions of Italy, including Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and Abruzzo.
The current situation emphasizes the importance of epidemiological surveillance and preventive measures in Italy, especially in affected areas where dengue had not historically been autochthonous. The dengue virus (DENV), transmitted by mosquitoes, could continue to cause infections in areas with climatic and environmental conditions that favor the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito and other vectors. Authorities recommend taking precautionary measures, especially to avoid mosquito bites, and continuing to monitor national data on the disease to assess the local situation.
