Chikungunya virus could spread across Europe amid global warming

Scientists at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology warn that the chikungunya virus can be transmitted by mosquitoes across much of Europe at lower temperatures than previously thought.

A review of 49 studies published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface shows the infection can spread via the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) at 13–14 °C, down from the earlier estimated 16–18 °C, significantly extending the seasonal risk period.

In southern Europe—Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece—the transmission season could last over six months, while in Belgium, France, Germany, and Switzerland it ranges from three to five months. In southeast England, the “transmission window” reaches up to two months. Scientists note that Europe is warming roughly twice as fast as the global average, making the northward spread of the virus a matter of time.

Chikungunya, first identified in Tanzania in 1952, causes severe and persistent joint pain and can be especially serious for children and the elderly. Up to 40 % of patients continue to experience chronic pain years after infection.

Local European outbreaks have occurred when infected travellers transmit the virus to local mosquito populations, with hundreds of cases recorded in France and Italy in 2025.

Researchers emphasise that updated temperature threshold data will aid preventive planning, but ongoing global warming will increase the risk of major outbreaks.

By Jeyhun Aghazada