Diseases spread by insects in travellers returning from Europe

The summer holiday season is well underway, with travellers heading abroad to various destinations including Europe. Approximately 15 million visitors from around the world are expected to attend the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France and Tahiti (26 July to 11 August) and the Paralympic Games (28 August to 8 September).

In June 2024, The ECDC highlighted the increasing spread of mosquito-borne diseases in EU/EEA countries.  Climate change has resulted in larger geographic areas which are favourable to breeding populations of mosquitoes and ticks. Diseases spread by ticks and mosquitoes are most frequently diagnosed in the summer months.

• Locally-acquired cases of mosquito-borne infections including dengue fever, West Nile fever, chikungunya and zika virus infection have been reported in Europe over the last decade.
• Viral tick-borne diseases such as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever and tick-borne encephalitis have also increased across Europe.

Vector-borne diseases should be considered in returning travellers with compatible clinical symptoms and recent travel history to endemic regions including Europe, or to regions with recent locally acquired cases.

• See the outbreaks section for country-specific information

Advice for Travellers

As part of the pre-travel risk assessment, all travellers should be made aware of:

• the risk of diseases spread by insects and ticks, including for travel to destinations in Europe
• how to avoid insect and mosquito bites
• how to treat insect bites and safely remove ticks should they occur

Travellers should be advised that if they become unwell in the weeks/months after travel, particularly with a fever, flu-like symptoms, rash and/or diarrhoea, they should seek prompt medical advice, and ensure they mention their travel history to the health professional.

Advice for Clinicians

Public Health Scotland are reminding clinicians who are seeing patients returning from Europe this summer to obtain a travel history from all patients with symptoms consistent with infection (particularly fever, rash and/or meningo-encephalitis)

• a 'significant' travel history when considering vector-borne disease should include countries in Europe
• patients may not have a perception of the risk linked to European destinations unless prompted

Clinicians are reminded to discuss any clinical queries with local infection services. Specialist advice on imported infections is available to infectious disease colleagues from the UKHSA Imported Fever Service on 0844 778 8990 (available 24/7).

Further information, including up-to date information on the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases in Europe is available:

• ECDC: Scientific and technical publications
• ECDC: Joint public health advice for travellers attending the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games
• ECDC: Travelling to the Olympics or Paralympics in Paris? New advice for spectators puts health centre-stage
• ECDC: Mass gatherings and infectious diseases, considerations for public health authorities in the EU/EEA
• TRAVAX: Staying Healthy if Travelling Abroad this Summer 2024