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E-TJERA

Mosquito-borne diseases are a growing problem in Europe

Politiko 2025-07-05 10:44:13

Europe is facing a growing public health threat from mosquito-borne tropical diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya, which are increasingly appearing on the continent due to climate change and increased international travel.

Experts warn that longer, hotter summers are creating favorable conditions for these dangerous diseases, which previously appeared mainly in Africa, South Asia and Latin America.

In 2024 alone, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 1,436 cases of West Nile virus and 304 dengue infections were recorded in Europe – an alarming increase compared to previous years. Italy recorded the largest dengue outbreak with 238 cases, while France is facing seven active chikungunya outbreaks this summer.

“It’s an exponential curve,” warns Jan Semenza, an environmental epidemiologist at Umeå University in Sweden. He explains that the time from the moment a mosquito species arrives in Europe until an epidemic breaks out has been reduced from 25 to less than 5 years. Scientists believe that dengue and chikungunya could soon become endemic in many parts of the continent.

Symptoms of dengue include fever, body aches and rash, while chikungunya causes severe joint pain that can last for months. Although not always fatal, these diseases can severely impact the health and livelihoods of citizens. Since the beginning of 2025, over three million cases of dengue and 220,000 cases of chikungunya have been reported globally, with more than 1,400 deaths from dengue and 80 from chikungunya.

To address this risk, European countries are stepping up prevention measures. Spain has launched a “citizen science” program where citizens can send photos of mosquitoes through an artificial intelligence app that identifies the species and notifies health authorities. So far, the Asian tiger mosquito, which carries dengue and chikungunya, has been detected in 156 Spanish municipalities.

According to the ECDC, individuals can reduce their risk by using repellents, protective clothing and avoiding exposure in the morning and evening when mosquitoes are most active. Travelers returning from at-risk areas should follow protective measures for at least three weeks to avoid local transmission of the viruses.

Meanwhile, scientists emphasize the importance of lessons learned from tropical regions where these diseases have long been endemic. “In Europe, it is still a seasonal disease,” says Semenza, “but the season is getting longer and we will see more and more cases in the future.”