Arbovirus surveillance in Italy.

A high number of different arboviruses have been demonstrated to be present in Italy, due to the coexistence of climates that are characteristic of continental areas in the North of the country and of subtropical areas in the South. Viruses circulating in Central Europe, such as the Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) virus, are present in Central and Northern Regions, whereas viruses circulating in Mediterranean areas, such as the Sandfly fever viruses are present in Central and Southern Italy. Viruses have been isolated from mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies and vertebrates (birds, rodents, humans). For some of them an association with human disease has been demonstrated.