The virus arrived silently, on the wings of a mosquito. It left no visible traces. It arrived one October night, carried by a common mosquito. On October 15th, in the countryside of Birdesu, an insect trap placed as part of the surveillance program mandated by the National Arbovirus Plan captured a pool of Culex pipiens mosquitoes. It seemed like a routine check. Instead, that sample, delivered on October 30th to the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Abruzzo and Molise in Teramo, changed everything.
On November 2nd, the verdict arrived, written in black and white in the test report: positive for Usutu virus . Negative, however, for West Nile virus. This is the first official confirmation of the circulation of Usutu virus in the municipality of Girasole. There is a point that experts consider crucial. Due to the similarity of transmission cycles (same vectors, same hosts, same environments), the presence of Usutu "also constitutes a risk indicator for the circulation of West Nile virus in the same geographical area."
Girasole Mayor Lodovico Piras, who is also the provincial delegate for the Environment, has issued an ordinance with a series of requirements, some of which are also addressed to private individuals, including not leaving objects and containers with standing water in open spaces and covering containers and tanks with lids or tarps.