  This paper introduces a comprehensive and original database on West Nile
virus (WNV) outbreaks that have occurred in Italy from September 2012 to
November 2022. We have digitized bulletins published by the Italian National
Institute of Health (ISS) to demonstrate the potential utilization of this data
for the research community. Our aim is to establish a centralized open-access
repository that facilitates analysis and monitoring of the disease. We have
collected and curated data on the type of infected host, along with additional
information whenever available, including the type of infection, age, and
geographic details at different levels of spatial aggregation. By combining our
data with other sources of information such as weather data, it becomes
possible to assess potential relationships between WNV outbreaks and
environmental factors. We strongly believe in supporting public oversight of
government epidemic management, and we emphasize that open data plays a crucial
role in generating reliable results by enabling greater transparency.
