State of the art: Vest Nile Virus circulation surveillance in Italy and transfusion risk early prevention methods

After the Chikungunya outbreak in 2007 in Italy, a national Plan for the surveillance of human vector-borne diseases has been implemented and annually updated on the basis of the epidemiological changes based-evidences. The transfusion Authorities cooperates, since 2008, with public health services and veterinary (entomological and ornithological) surveillance systems. In some Italian regions, a common protocol for exchanging data is in place to identify the West Nile Virus (WNV) circulation in birds and mosquitoes: the goal is to anticipate the introduction of WNV-NAT screening in blood donors and, on the other hand, to limit testing only in geographic areas where the virus circulation is actual. The integration of surveillance activities and a multidisciplinary approach made it possible to introduce efficient and preventive measures for reducing the risk of of transmission of WNV trough blood, tissues and organ donation.