A case of the West Nile virus has been found in Pordenone, the local health authority has said in an official statement. There are reportedly no serious risks to the health of the person infected by the mosquito-borne illness.
The virus had left at least three people dead in northeast Italy in recent weeks and has affected dozens in Greece this year.
It can cause symptoms similar to the flu but in extreme cases also tremors, fever, comas and a lethal swelling of the brain tissue known as encephalitis. The local administration nonetheless has ordered an urgent disinfestation of a limited area of public and private land to eliminate any possible larvae. The work will be done by a specialized company and will require residents to keep their doors and windows closed between 2:30 PM and 7 PM, with pets kept inside and no use of air-conditioning systems. Vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and animals will all be prohibited from moving through the area during the disinfestation.
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