West Nile virus in Italy, chikungunya in China, dengue in France. With summer in full bloom, mosquitoes are doing what mosquitoes do: keeping you up at night and spreading vector-borne viruses.
European countries, particularly in the south, have already reported their share of outbreaks this summer, while China is seeing an alarming spike in chikungunya cases. Although these diseases are not new, their presence in Europe is shifting as climate change makes environmental conditions more habitable for certain types of mosquito.
Here’s what you need to know.
The West Nile virus is endemic to Europe — meaning it is found across the continent all year round. The virus is spread by Culex pipiens, or the northern house mosquito (native to Europe), which spreads it from infected birds to humans and some animals. It is asymptomatic in 80 percent of humans — but can lead to fever and, in severe cases, cause neurological diseases and become deadly.
