Climate-driven Mosquito Invasion Sparks Dengue and Chikungunya Spread Across Europe

Climate warming is enabling the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) to spread across Europe, leading to locally transmitted dengue and chikungunya without travel links, as seen in a 2024 Italian outbreak in Fano. Researchers warn the mosquito season could lengthen and transmission may occur at cooler temperatures than previously thought, raising the risk of endemic disease in parts of Europe even as extreme heat can reduce mosquito numbers. Public-health preparedness, vector-control efforts (such as sterile-male releases), and individual precautions are increasingly essential as other invasive species like Aedes aegypti appear in Madeira and Cyprus.