Health authorities in Italy's northern Lombardy region have activated emergency protocols after two suspected cases of Ebola were identified in the province of Como. The individuals, a woman from Lurate Caccivio and a man from Bulgarograsso, returned from Uganda within the past 24 hours after a three-month stint as humanitarian aid workers.
Both patients developed symptoms consistent with Ebola virus disease, including high fever, nausea, vomiting, and intestinal issues. They were swiftly transferred to Milan's Sacco Hospital, a specialist facility for managing high-risk infectious diseases, where diagnostic tests required under national and international protocols are underway.
No Confirmation Yet
Guido Bertolaso, Lombardy's regional welfare minister, confirmed at a press conference that emergency procedures had been triggered but stressed there is no official confirmation of the virus. "There is still no certainty that this is Ebola," Bertolaso said, adding that test results are expected later on Monday and "we are hopeful they will be negative."
The two patients come from an area of Uganda near the borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, regions currently under surveillance due to a rise in Ebola cases. However, doctors consider a form of malaria to be the more likely diagnosis, possibly cerebral malaria in the case of the 30-year-old woman, who may require intensive care. She has developed more severe symptoms, including a very high fever and mild neurological issues. Her daughter is also thought to have contracted malaria while in Uganda.
The 31-year-old man from Bulgarograsso presents a milder clinical picture, with a temperature around 38°C and gastrointestinal problems. Nonetheless, health authorities immediately activated surveillance protocols for suspected Ebola due to the patients' travel history.
The other five members of the two families are being monitored and kept under health surveillance by the competent authorities.
Risk Remains Low
In an official statement, Italy's Health Ministry emphasized that the risk of Ebola in Italy "remains very low." The ministry confirmed that the national system for preparedness and response to infectious emergencies is fully operational. It is constantly monitoring the situation in close coordination with Lombardy regional authorities, the Higher Institute of Health, Sacco Hospital in Milan, Rome's Spallanzani Hospital, and other health facilities involved in managing epidemic emergencies.
On Sunday, the European Commission's Health Security Committee held a meeting devoted specifically to the Ebola emergency, with participation from relevant Italian ministries and national health authorities. This follows the WHO raising the Ebola risk to 'very high' in DR Congo as the outbreak spreads to Uganda.
Bertolaso criticized the premature circulation of images and statements about the case, stressing that the procedures triggered were merely precautionary measures laid down in international health protocols. According to the regional minister, some public communications may have fueled alarm among the population even before any official clinical confirmation.
The situation underscores the importance of robust health surveillance systems across Europe, particularly as travel and humanitarian work connect the continent to regions with ongoing outbreaks. Italy's response, coordinated at both national and EU levels, reflects the preparedness measures in place to handle such alerts.
