EU health authorities warn that mosquito-borne illnesses are at record highs

Europe is seeing “record-breaking outbreaks” this summer of the mosquito-borne illnesses West Nile virus and chikungunya, health authorities have warned, Report informs via Euronews.

The continent’s mosquito season is becoming “longer and more intense” as temperatures rise, winters are milder, and rainfall patterns shift – creating the perfect conditions for mosquitoes to proliferate and spread viruses, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Health and climate scientists have also warned that mosquito-borne illnesses could become endemic in Europe as a result of climate change.

“Europe is entering a new phase – where longer, more widespread, and more intense transmission of mosquito-borne diseases is becoming the new normal,” ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said in a statement.

There have been 27 chikungunya outbreaks so far in 2025, which is a new record for the continent, the agency said. There have been 335 cases of West Nile virus, which is the highest level in three years.

Those tallies span the European Union and a few other countries in mainland Europe.

ECDC officials expect these figures to continue rising in the coming weeks. Infections typically peak from July to September.

The mosquito that spreads chikungunya, known as Aedes albopictus or the Asian tiger mosquito, has now been found in 16 European countries and 369 regions, up from 114 regions a decade ago, according to the ECDC.

Meanwhile, West Nile virus infections are reported in new regions every year. In 2025, that includes Salaj County in Romania and the Latina and Frosinone provinces of Italy, where at least 10 people have died from the virus.