Congo disease, ISS: Lucca patient tests negative but inconclusive

The tests carried out by the Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) on samples taken from the patient, who was hospitalised in Lucca in November after returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), are negative, though not conclusive. Even though molecular diagnostic tests conducted thus far on the unidentified illness that has afflicted the African nation have yielded negative results for the majority of the known human pathogens (i.e. Arbovirus, Lassa virus, respiratory viruses, TBE, Rickettsia spp., measles virus, and Plasmodium spp.), it cannot be discounted that the reported symptomatology may have been attributable to infection by one of the aforementioned pathogens. This is because the tests were carried out on samples collected following the emergence of symptoms while the patient was in the DRC, and after recovery. Metagenomic analyses are ongoing for further verification of this case, ISS points out. A coordination team has been established between the Italian Ministry of Health and the ISS, to oversee the current situation and formulate potential interventions. These actions are precautionary, given the absence of any indications of cases associated with this outbreak on Italian territory.