Study Warns: Painful Tropical Disease Spreads Across Europe

By Staff, Agencies

Chikungunya, a crippling tropical disease, is now spreading via mosquitoes across much of Europe, researchers warn.

Rising temperatures now allow chikungunya infections for months in southern Europe and even in southeast England, with northward spread likely, scientists warned.

The study, first to map temperature’s impact on the virus in Europe’s invasive Asian tiger mosquito, finds infections can occur at 2.5 °C lower than previously thought—a "shocking" gap, researchers said.

Chikungunya, a tropical virus causing severe joint pain and occasional deaths, has appeared in over 10 European countries, with major outbreaks in France and Italy in 2025.

UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology [UKCEH] scientists warn Europe’s rapid warming and invasive mosquitoes are bringing tropical diseases north: France saw chikungunya jump from 30 cases in 10 years to over 800 last year, fueled by travelers from Réunion.

The day-biting Asian tiger mosquito [Aedes albopictus] is spreading north in Europe, including the UK; avoiding bites remains the best protection against chikungunya.

WHO’s Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez said chikungunya could spread further in Europe and remain debilitating for years. She urged controlling mosquitoes through community education, repellents, protective clothing, and improved surveillance.

Chikungunya spreads when mosquitoes bite infected people and later transmit the virus through saliva—but if the virus takes longer to incubate than the mosquito’s lifespan, it cannot spread.

A new study in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface shows chikungunya can now spread at lower temperatures [13–14 °C] than previously thought, extending the risk across most of southern and parts of central Europe for several months each year.

Outbreaks start when infected travelers are bitten by local tiger mosquitoes, and warming winters are allowing year-round mosquito activity, raising the threat of larger outbreaks.

While the UK has not seen local transmission, imported cases have nearly tripled in 2025, prompting calls to control tiger mosquitoes to prevent chikungunya, dengue, and Zika.