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Your latest post concerning a suspected outbreak 

of chikungunya fever in Italy (Emilia Romagna) 

appears to be confirmed by a note dispatched by 



''I risultati degli esami di laboratorio eseguiti 

dal Dipartimento di malattie infettive dell’Iss 

su campioni biologici delle persone colpite, 

indicano invece come causa del focolaio epidemico il virus Chikungunya.''



(Laboratory test analysis on patients' samples 

indicate causative agent of this illness is 

chikungunya virus. - My translation.)



Whether an infected traveler is to blame for the 

outbreak or a persistent presence of the virus in 

the mosquito population remains to be 

established. [See comment below. - Mod. JW]



--

Giuseppe Michieli

Via Vittorio Saetta 26A - 35132 Padova

Italy

NON-HEALTH CARE WORKER

Non-health care worker





Note that "chikungunya" takes a lower-case 

initial inside a sentence, just like "dengue", 

because the word describes a symptom (joint pain in both cases).



The reference to persistence in mosquitoes refers 

to the importation of a number of cases last year 

(2006), in travelers returning from epidemic 

areas in the Indian Ocean islands & India,  which 

could have infected local mosquitoes, although no 

local epidemic was recognized at the 

2006, mentions the importations into Italy & 

other European countries.  A just published paper 



Beltrame A, Angheben A, Bisoffi Z, Monteiro G, 

Marocco S, Calleri G, et al. Imported chikungunya 

infection, Italy [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis 

[serial on the Internet]. 2007 Aug. Available 



Since dengue is also spread by the same vector 

species of mosquito as chikungunya, clearly Italy 

is now wide open for imported cases of dengue to 

start an epidemic. It is hoped that the relevant 

authorities there have taken note of the risk. - Mod.JW]



Chikungunya, imported, risk of transmission  20070125.0338

2006

----

....................................jw