Dengue and West Nile virus in Europe.

13 Jun 2024

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned of an increasing number of outbreaks of West Nile virus infections and dengue in European countries in the past two years

In 2023, 130 dengue cases were reported in the European Union/European Economic Area. IN 2022, there were 71 cases.

European Union/European Economic Area countries reported 713 cases (67 deaths) of West Nile disease in nine countries. In 2022, there 1 133 cases.

These outbreaks have mainly been reported in southern and central Europe. West Nile virus and dengue are both transmitted by mosquitoes and have the potential to cause serious illness.

Advice for Travellers

If you are travelling to an affected region (mainly southern and central Europe) you are potentially at risk of West Nile virus or dengue fever and should be aware of these infections.

• You can protect yourself by avoiding mosquito bites at all times.

If you develop a high temperature (fever) either during or after travelling to an affected area, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible and give details of your recent travel history.

For further information see the West Nile virus and dengue fever pages.