The Federal Office for Safety in Health Care was informed by the Italian authority that two blood donors in the provinces of Mantova and Cremona (Lombardia Region) tested positive for WNV NAT. Furthermore, four symptomatic human WNV cases (two of which were neuroinvasive) were reported in the provinces of Verona, Rovigo (Veneto Region), and Reggio Emilia (Emilia Romagna Region).

The Federal Office for Safety in Health Care has been informed by the Italian authority that WNV NAT testing will now be carried out in the province of Padova (Veneto Region) in addition to the regions already announced.

The Federal Office for Public Health Safety has been informed by the Italian authority that WNV NAT testing will now be carried out in the province of Forli-Cesena (Emilia-Romagna Region) in addition to the regions already announced.

The Federal Office for Public Health Safety has been informed by the Italian authority that WNV NAT testing will now be carried out in the provinces of Torino (Piedmont Region), Monza-Brianza (Lombardia Region), and Veneto (Veneto Region) in addition to the regions already announced.

The Federal Office for Public Health Safety has been informed by the Italian authority that WNV NAT testing will now be carried out in the provinces of Parma (Emilia-Romagna Region) and Cremona (Lombardia Region) in addition to the regions already announced.

The Federal Office for Public Health Safety has been informed by the Italian authority that the first human WNV (neuro-invasive disease) infection has been recorded in the province of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna Region).

Given the current circulation of Zika virus; the evidence of an association between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and congenital malformations of the central nervous system (CNS); the association between Zikavirus infection and Guillain–Barré Syndrome(GBS)and the risk of local vector-borne transmission in Europe during the 2016 summer season, EU/EEA Member States are recommended to consider a range of mitigation measures.

From 1 January 2007 to 23 March 2016, Zikavirus transmission was documented in a total of 61 countries and territories. Four of these countries and territories reported a Zika virus outbreak that is now over.

A Rapid Risk Assessment from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) regarding the ZIKA virus epidemic was forwarded to the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care by the European Commission and can be found in the appendix.

The spread of the Zika virus epidemic in the Americas is likely to continue as the competent vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are widely distributed there.