Cyprus has confirmed established populations of two disease-carrying mosquito species, European health authorities say, as the continent records its highest-ever number of locally transmitted dengue and chikungunya infections.
Updated maps published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show that both Aedes aegypti, which was already present on the island, and Aedes albopictus, the tiger mosquito, now have confirmed established populations in Cyprus. The ECDC notes that the coexistence of both species is uncommon in Europe and is being closely monitored.
The ECDC has stressed that this does not mean Cyprus faces an immediate epidemiological crisis. However, the presence of both species creates the conditions for local transmission of diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya if infected cases are imported from abroad.
Aedes aegypti is considered the primary international vector of dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever. Aedes albopictus is an established vector of several viruses and is characterised by high adaptability.
Cyprus also features in ECDC and VectorNet surveillance maps for other disease vectors, including ticks and sandflies. The Hyalomma marginatum tick, which thrives in warm, dry climates such as Cyprus’s, is recorded on the island, as is the Rhipicephalus sanguineus, or brown dog tick, which is linked to Mediterranean spotted fever.
Phlebotomus sandflies, the primary vectors of leishmaniasis, are also present. Cyprus is considered an endemic area for leishmaniasis, which affects both humans and animals, mainly dogs. Sandflies are also associated with sandfly fever, a viral infection causing high fever, headache and severe muscle pain.
At a European level, the ECDC now lists West Nile virus, chikungunya and dengue as the continent’s most significant mosquito-borne diseases. Over the past two years, Europe recorded its highest-ever number of locally transmitted dengue and chikungunya cases. Until recently, most cases involved people infected outside Europe; health authorities are now logging increasing instances of local transmission.
The ECDC attributes much of this shift to climate change. Higher temperatures, milder winters and changing rainfall patterns are creating favourable conditions for insect survival and reproduction, it says, with the mosquito activity season now beginning earlier in spring and ending later in autumn. Species previously confined to specific geographical zones are gradually spreading into new areas of Europe.
The agency is also recording the gradual spread of ticks and sandflies across Europe. Ixodes ricinus, the primary tick vector of Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis, is of particular concern, while Phlebotomus sandflies are appearing in a growing number of areas across southern and central Europe.
The ECDC’s central message is that Europe is entering a new era for diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and other vectors, and that continuous surveillance and strengthened prevention measures are needed, with particular emphasis on southern Europe and the Mediterranean.