Chikungunya emergency in Emilia-Romagna: learning through experience]

This paper summarizes the Emilia-Romagna strategy to face the 2007 emergency, caused by a Chikungunya epidemic out-break with local virus transmission by Ae. albopictus. The paper describes the trend of epidemic and the interventions adopted to face toward the event. The first cases were in Revenna and Cervia and then the outbreak spread toward other areas: the Provinces of Forli-Cesena, Rimini and Bologna. Last case was notified 2007 28(th) September; Health Ministry declared over the outbreak on 2007 20(th) November. Emilia-Romagna Region did not consider over the trouble and prepared a Plan for the fight against the asian tiger mosquito and the prevention of Chikungunya and Dengue fever for 2008, activating an health surveillance system and optimizing the entomological control of the terrritory.