Enhanced laboratory surveillance of respiratory infection disclosed the rapid rise of enterovirus D68 cases, northern Italy, August to September 2024
Elena Pariani, Antonio Piralla, Laura Pellegrinelli, Federica Giardina, Vincenzo Navobi Porrello, Greta Romano, Cristina Galli, Laura Sandri, Guglielmo Ferrari, S. Binda, Luigi Vezzosi, Gabriele Del Castillo, Sabrina Buoro, Danilo Cereda, Fausto Baldanti, Respiratory viruses pandemic preparedness group Lombardy
Abstract
We report a considerable increase in enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases since July 2024, culminating in an ongoing outbreak of acute respiratory infections in northern Italy, accounting for nearly 90% of all enterovirus infections. The outbreak was identified by community- and hospital-based surveillance systems, detecting EV-D68 in individuals with mild-to-severe respiratory infections. These strains belonged to B3 and a divergent A2 lineage. An increase in adult cases was observed. Enhanced surveillance and molecular characterisation of EV-D68 across Europe are needed.