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During her visit to the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Italian-speaking Switzerland (SUPSI), FOPH Director Anne Lévy praised the work of Ticino’s institutions in mosquito surveillance and control.
Keystone
The federal government, together with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Italian-speaking Switzerland (SUPSI) and the Ticino health authorities, is launching a surveillance program for the West Nile virus. During a visit to Mendrisio, FOPH Director Anne Lévy praised the groundwork laid by Ticino.
The goal is to reduce the risk of new cases of the West Nile virus, the director of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) noted during a media tour at SUPSI in Mendrisio. Thanks to its exemplary role in the surveillance and control of vectors and vector-borne pathogens, SUPSI’s Institute of Microbiology will serve as a national center of excellence in this field going forward.
Specifically, the FOPH, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), the SUPSI Institute of Microbiology, and the health authorities of the Canton of Ticino are jointly developing a surveillance program for the West Nile virus, as was further stated. In line with the “One Health” approach, the pilot project focuses on the health of humans, animals, and the environment.
The integrated regional surveillance program could serve as a model for implementation at the national level, according to a press release. Even though there has been only one confirmed case of local transmission so far, it is crucial to take early measures to protect the population, Lévy noted. SUPSI is doing important groundwork in this area for Switzerland.
Ticino is ideally suited for this project, as the region could one day become a gateway for the West Nile virus, explained Ticino’s cantonal physician Giorgio Merlani and the director of SUPSI’s Institute of Microbiology, Francesco Origgi. In nearby northern Italy, the virus is already established in mosquitoes.
18.06.2026, 12:36
