My husband's first military assignment was in Aviano, Italy;
however, he proposed to me under the Rialto Bridge in Venice. The population
size of Venice is relatively small consisting of about 65,000 individuals. The
population is made up primarily of an aging population and the city is
considered one of the safest cities in Europe. I would love to get stationed in
Italy again, because it was absolutely beautiful and the culture is so laid
back and amazing. However, a few public health concerns have frequently arisen
in Italy. In September 2006, an outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease, which is a
bacterial infection spread by droplets from contaminated water sources,
occurred. More recently, in August 2011, another outbreak of Legionnaire's
Disease transpired. Mosquitoes can also be problematic in Venice leading to
illnesses such as Chikugnya fever, which causes severe joint pains and high
fevers. Acute respiratory illnesses are also known to occur near beaches
throughout Italy due to Ostreopsis ovate, which is a dinoflagellate. Italy has
also experienced the regular occurrences of Measles outbreaks. Despite the
aforementioned public health issues, Venice remains one of the safest cities in
Europe. Moreover, the trail leads from St. Marcos Square to the Rialto Bridge,
which is the same trail we traveled when my husband proposed. I did not have any issues navigating Google Earth.
