Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bologna (Agenzia Fides) - Eradicate the virus before the area becomes endemic; intensify and update systems of warning, control and monitoring in view of possible danger of new infective diseases; drastically reduce the tiger mosquito, carrier of new infections. These priority objectives have been adopted by the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna to fight the Chikungunya virus of which forty cases not confirmed have been registered.
The city will undertake surveillance by means of ovitraps, and expects to make a full coverage of anti larva treatment in the territory until 31 October.
The regional plan to eradicate the tiger mosquito is centred on disinfecting breeding grounds and anti-larva treatment in public and private areas flanked with special action to eliminate adult insects with the intervention of expert personnel which should guarantee levels of quality and adequacy. The above mentioned treatment will be used in suspected or confirmed cases of Chikungunya, or in the presence of localised infestation of particular consistence with associated health risks, in schools, hospitals, homes for the elderly etc.
With regard to the epidemiological development, from examinations of suspect cases reported daily, the comforting factor emerged that the problem is restricted to areas which registered the peak of the epidemic in the second half of August: all the other suspected cases reported from different areas of the region proved negative after laboratory testing. In zones with confirmed cases a progressive fall is registered in the latter and only in isolated form
(AP) (14/9/2007 Agenzia Fides; Righe:26; Parole:293)
