Neglected Tropical Disease emergency in Italy

On the occasion of the World Day of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), which is being celebrated on 30 January, Adriano Casulli, Director of the Department of Infectious, Parasitic, Foodborne and Neglected Diseases of the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) and the EU laboratory for Parasites, announced that there are at least 4-5 thousand sick people per year in the country, while the estimate at a global level speaks of 1.6 billion people. These NTDs are caused by a diverse group of pathogens, including parasites, viruses, bacteria, and fungi. While these diseases primarily affect populations in tropical regions, they often have a global impact due to increasing international travel, exacerbated by the climate crisis. Although treatments are available, they frequently remain inaccessible to patients due to a lack of economic incentive for developing specific drugs. According to Casulli, the most prevalent NTDs in Italy are Dengue, Chikungunya, Leishmaniasis, Cystic Echinococcosis and Scabies. Casulli emphasises the particular concern surrounding the prevalence of these diseases, noting that 200,000 cases of Cystic Echinococcosis are estimated worldwide each year, resulting in 25,000 hospital admissions in Italy alone.