Strengthening Arboviral Disease Preparedness through Nursing Education in Italy

Dear Editor, Arboviral diseases, including those caused by dengue, chikungunya, Zika, West Nile, Usutu, tick-borne encephalitis, and Toscana viruses, are emerging as a growing public health concern in Italy and across Europe. Climate change, environmental modifications, increasing international mobility, and the expansion of competent vectors, particularly Aedes albopictus, are reshaping the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases and facilitating the occurrence of autochthonous transmission events in areas previously considered at low risk. Among the arboviruses of greatest public health relevance in Italy are dengue virus, chikungunya virus, Zika virus, West Nile virus, Usutu virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, and Toscana virus, all of which are responsible for human disease and require specific surveillance and prevention strategies. Recent outbreaks of dengue and the increasing burden of West Nile virus infection in Italy highlight the need for enhanced preparedness strategies capable of addressing this evolving epidemiological scenario. In response to these emerging challenges, Italy has implemented a National Plan for the Prevention, Surveillance, and Response to Arboviral Diseases, which provides an integrated framework for epidemiological surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, vector control, and coordinated public health interventions.