[Prevention of vector-borne diseases in Italy]

In recent years, a constant increase of vector-borne diseases has been seen in Italy, due to various conditions including climate change, trade and international travel. These factors contribute to the diffusion on the Italian territory of newly introduced carriers and pathogens. These new pathogens can be an emerging cause of epidemics, as in the case of the Chikungunya virus in 2007 and in 2017, or can establish a true endemic disease, as in the case of the West Nile virus. It is even possible that diseases that had been endemic in the past, which were subsequently eliminated in Italy, could be reintroduced, as in the case of malaria. This review aims to illustrate the recent evolution of the diffusion of vectors and of the pathogens they convey, and to investigate which emerging pathogens could be responsible in the immediate future for new epidemics / endemics in Italy. Nowadays it is necessary to keep those neglected emerging diseases in mind, in order to establish a correct diagnostic-therapeutic approach at the individual level, and to identify the measures to avoid their diffusion at the community level. Preventive interventions, such as available vaccines or individual protection from vectors, are also discussed.