The Tiger of Asia. The black -and -white rod mosquito that arrived in Europe in the mid -90s is now rekindling EU concerns about new epidemics through mosquitoes.

This year’s appearance of a large number of cases of Chikungunya (Chikunia-Chik) and the Deno Fever (Den) in dozens of areas of France and Italy show that the “ugly scenario” based on the effects of climate change is unfortunately being confirmed. More specifically by 8/10/2025 700 indigenous cases of Tsikungounia have been recorded in France and 353 in Italy. .

Asia’s tiger, Aedes albopictus mosquito, as its scientific name is, is capable of transmitting both diseases and its particular features such as stinging during the day and mainly outdoors make it the number 1 transmitter for the emergence of new outbreaks and therefore one of them.

Fortunately, Greece is still outside the European Daguio and Chikungunya outbreak, which is probably associated with the absence of travelers from endemic areas and countries. However, he again faced a significant number of western Nile virus cases (IDN), not fortunately of the same tension as in previous years. According to EDYY data until October 8, 8 deaths and 93 cases of IDNs were recorded in the country and only 4 of them in areas of Central Macedonia, a region in which IDN has endemic since 2010.

Experts in the implementation of mosquito -fighting programs estimate that the early heatwave in late June “disassembled” the chain of transmission of the ID between mosquitoes and birds so that the birds are not infectious, thus making mosquitoes non -contagious of the disease. This is advised that by July, no mosquitoes had not been positively collected and at the same time on the network of animal markers (domestic poultry) the Territoriality was particularly low compared to other years.

As explained to RES-EIA, Sandra Gewehr, Director of the R&D Department of the Ecosquit and former European Mosquito Association (EMCA) who specializes in the Operational Mosquito Control Association (EMCA) of the West Nile transmission is made with the common mosquito, the type of Culex Pipiens, an indigenous species that is reproduced in Greece and almost around the world. The fighting mosquitoes in the affected areas, says Ms Gewehr, focuses on this species and can be judged as effective. “

In the case of the chickens and dengue fever, the main transmitter in Europe is the “tiger of Asia”, Aedes albopictus, and their difference with the West Nile virus is that both diseases are transmitted from human to humans through mosquito by pinching a human but only by stinging birds), so the proliferation of cases can occur at a very increased rate. She described the appearance of so many cases of both diseases in Italy and France this year and in so many areas. “Italy,” he notes, “has faced important epidemics of Tsikungounia in 2007 and 2017 when it is essentially a re -emergence of the disease in the neighboring country, while in France only sporadic cases were recorded in France.”

The biggest challenge for European Public Health Services and mosquito fighting programs is to tackle the “tiger” mosquito that is not as effective as in the case of IDN and malaria because it is exclusively for the structured environment. The fight against the “tiger” which is mainly reproduced in private spaces, is difficult and requires intensive information, attention and participation of citizens.

The thousand cases of Chik and Den in which the tiger is involved imply a much greater risk to public health especially in southern Europe in the near future than the West Nile virus which was recorded in a total of 28 European countries. This is the first time that Chik and Den cases have overcome those of the ID.

“The reason for the appearance of so many Chik and Den cases in EU countries. Like in France, Italy is mainly due to traveler movements to areas endemic to Dangelic and Tsikungunia, he was appreciated by speaking to RES-EIA, AUTH Professor Anna Papa-Konidari “but also to the movement of mosquitoes such as Albopictus. in northern European regions. It is favored by the environment and is now everywhere … “

Especially for Central Macedonia, however, where the West Nile virus “counts” 15 years in the presence of all expert scientists, he stresses that last summer due to the few outbreaks (no fatal) was “the best of all for public health”.

“But we cannot- Ms. Papa-Konidari said- with today’s data we can appreciate what may happen next year. It depends on many factors and one of them is the winter intensity. Under what conditions the mosquitoes will overwinter. If we have a mild winter this could then affect their populations favorably … “

The EU through its institutions such as ECDC, the European Commission and the European Commission has been concerned about the risk of new epidemics from infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and especially after the climate change reports that create more favorable conditions for the dispersion. Pre -pandemic of the crown and even since 2012 he had issued guidelines for the surveillance of “spatial” mosquito species, while the Commission through the Joint Research Centre Institute has published a report in 2018, which highlights the role of changing the role of climate in the wake of the climate. Dangelic fever, Chikungunya (Tsikungunia), West Nile virus and Zika virus (JRC 2018: “Toward Climate Change Impact: Vectors Carrying Viral Infection”).

TH.

MAP1: Active and inactive stoves in France and Italy, source: ECDC, 01/10/2025

Map3: 3. Confirmed and possible outbreaks in Europe for 2025 (until 01/10/2025),

GRAPH: Total number of fever (Den), Tsikungounia (CHIK) and Virus

of the West Nile (WNV) in Europe from 2007 to 2025. (* Data to 03/09/2025 and

Week 40), Ecclesiastical Development