Bat virus isolated in Italy
It was isolated from a batfor the first time in Italy, the Issyk-Kul virus (ISKV). It has been known since 1970, when it was found in a Nyctalus noctula sampled bat at Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. ISKV was subsequently detected in neighboring Central Asian countries (Tajikistan and Kazakhstan) in several species of bats And ticks.
It is assumed that these two animals are both reservoirs of ISKV and that the transmission to humans is possible through tick bites and exposure to bat feces and urine. At present, little is known about this virus, although it is described as the cause of possible outbreaks of disease in humans characterized by fever, headache, myalgia and nausea with convalescence times of up to a few weeks. In some cases it is also compared to hemorrhagic fevers.
Bat virus where it has been isolated in Italy
In Italy, the isolation took place atZooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna. The virus was found in a bat belonging to a sedentary and widespread species (Hypsugo savii) in urban areas, which uses buildings as refuge sites, suggesting possible implications for public health.
The isolation was performed on a specimen that died spontaneously at the Cras WWF of Valpredina in the province of Bergamo and analyzed by Izsler as part of the passive surveillance investigations on bats, provided for by the Wild Fauna Plan of the Lombardy Region.
Bat virus, Letizia Moratti: “There is no alarmism”
To date, only one positivity has been recorded and further investigations are underway aimed at defining the spread, distribution and ecology of this virus, which will also allow us to acquire useful information to define the prevalence / incidence of ISKV to better understand if there is a possible risk of transmission and spread to animals and humans.
There Vice-President and Lombard Councilor for Welfare of the Lombardy Region, Letizia Morattihe underlined that “there is no alarmism, but the careful and punctual work that is carried out by our operators should be highlighted, as happened on other recent occasions”.
It is in fact an established fact that diseases transmissible to humans of animal origin, originating from wildlife, can represent a threat to human health: “Promptly identifying their appearance and effectively counteracting their spread – adds the commissioner – is a priority for public health “.
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