A rare and rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disease, which appeared suddenly and worsened within just a few weeks, has claimed the life of Rocco Aurilia, a 42-year-old soldier stationed in Rimini. The non-commissioned officer served with the Army’s 7th “Vega” Aviation Regiment, based at Rimini’s military airport.
The first sign that something was wrong emerged at the end of last May. Aurilia, who lived alone in Rimini, had not been feeling well and was unable to report for duty. His colleagues immediately took an interest in his condition, helping him get medical tests underway.
From there, the situation deteriorated rapidly. After being admitted to hospital in Cesena and undergoing numerous tests, doctors focused their suspicions on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an extremely rare condition affecting the central nervous system that can progress very aggressively.
As his condition worsened, the 42-year-old was transferred to the hospice in Rimini, where he died on 13 August. In less than three months, he had gone from the first symptoms to this tragic outcome.
Originally from the Avellino area, Aurilia had long since built his life around Rimini and the Army, which he had joined at a very young age. He spent a significant part of his career at the “Vega” regiment, until the onset of the illness that took his life at just 42.
