Study warns of spread of chikungunyaDEBILITATING ILLNESS: Higher temperatures due to the climate crisis and invasive mosquitoes mean the tropical disease could expand further northward in EuropeThe GuardianAn excruciatingly painful tropical disease called chikungunya can now be transmitted by mosquitoes across most of Europe, a study has found. A worker sprays pesticide to prevent the spread of chikungunya in Nice, France, on Oct. 10 last year. Chikungunya virus was first detected in 1952 in Tanzania and was confined to tropical regions, where there are millions of infections a year. Outbreaks in Europe are sparked by infected travelers returning from tropical regions and being bitten by local tiger mosquitoes, which then spread the disease. However, scientists are starting to see all-year-round tiger mosquito activity in southern Europe, meaning chikungunya outbreaks are likely to amplify as the continent warms.

Source: Taipei Times February 18, 2026 18:17 UTC