Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Viral diseases spread by mosquitoes are becoming more common in the European Union, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The European Union agency warned that infections from viruses like West Nile or chikungunya could become common in Europe.
The chikungunya virus, spread by the Asian tiger mosquito, has reached a new record this year on the continent, with 27 outbreaks reported so far.
In early July, a local case of chikungunya fever was reported in Alsace, France. This is unusual for that area and indicates that the risk of this disease is spreading north.
By mid-August, there were 335 cases of West Nile virus across eight European countries. The outbreak resulted in 19 deaths, as reported by the ECDC. Italy had the highest number of cases at 247, followed by Greece with 35 cases.
The ECDC attributes the increasing spread of these diseases in Europe to climatic conditions that allow mosquitoes to thrive.
