Virus Shamonda, Italian Hygiene Society: "More surveillance of infectious diseases"

The call for prevention

“While awaiting further epidemiological and scientific insights, this case represents a further reminder of the importance of not lowering our guard towards emerging infectious diseases and the risks they may represent for public health,” declared Enrico Di Rosa, president of the Italian Hygiene Society, on the sidelines of the 59th National Congress of SItI.

"It is essential to strengthen epidemiological, virological and entomological surveillance systems, promoting ever closer collaboration between public health, veterinary medicine and environmental protection, according to the One Health model which recognizes the indissoluble link between human, animal and environmental health", he added, and then underlined: "We therefore consider it a priority to invest in strengthening the Prevention Departments to intercept these phenomena early, strengthen resources, professional skills and collaboration networks between institutions and health services. Prevention must be able to anticipate risks, don't just manage emergencies."

Andreoni (Css): “There is no evidence that the virus is dangerous for humans”

Massimo Andreoni, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and member of the Superior Health Council, also calls for caution.

According to the expert, the French case "represents a signal not to be underestimated of how climate change can influence the spread of pathogens. But we must not expect the contagion to spread to the human population: although one death has occurred, we have no evidence that the virus has mutated and become dangerous for people".

"Transmission to humans is an exceptional event and we must not worry that the virus can spread easily between people," Andreoni explained to Ansa. "We are faced with the case of a severely immunosuppressed patient, in whom the infection may have found particularly favorable conditions. We cannot therefore think that the virus has necessarily adapted to humans: it could simply have 'taken advantage' of a situation. We have already observed cases of bacteria and parasites capable of causing infections in people with compromised immune defenses, without this meaning that they have adapted to infecting humans."

An alternative hypothesis, "but much less probable", is that the virus has undergone a mutation that allows it to infect humans more easily".

The real worrying aspect, Andreoni specified, "is that this infectious agent has arrived in Europe. It is a further sign of the effects of globalization and, above all, climate change, which can favor the spread of vectors and infectious agents in new geographical areas. A wake-up call that deserves attention and monitoring,” he concluded.