MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES

Mosquitoes transmit numerous vaccine preventable and non-vaccine preventable diseases

OVERVIEWSIGNS & SYMPTOMSDISEASE PROTECTION

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WHAT ARE MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES?

Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) are caused by viruses or parasites that are spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Common MBDs include chikungunya, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, yellow fever, West Nile, and Zika.1

MOSQUITOES ARE THE DEADLIEST ANIMAL IN THE WORLD2

MBDs infect up to 700 million people per year (that’s almost one in 10 people on earth), and it is estimated that they kill approximately one million people annually.1,3

MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES KEY FACTS

CAUSE NUMEROUS DISEASES

Infected mosquitoes can spread diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, yellow fever, West Nile, and Zika.1

FOUND ALMOST EVERYWHERE

Mosquitoes exist almost everywhere in the world, not just tropical areas. Moreover, their territories are expanding with climate change.3,4

CAN CAUSE A RANGE OF UNPLEASANT SYMPTOMS

MBDs can cause a range of symptoms, ranging from mild flu-like responses to debilitating pain and chronic disabilities.5

MANY AT-RISK GROUPS

Tourists, business travellers, study-abroad students, people visiting family and relatives, and expatriates may all be exposed to MBDs.1,6–9

LACK OF TREATMENTS

No specific treatments are available for many MBDs.10

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE MEASURES

Taking precautions to prevent mosquito bites is crucial to the prevention of MBDs.1

VACCINATION CAN HELP

Available vaccines may be helpful for MBD prevention in eligible individuals.11

WHEN AND WHERE ARE MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES TRANSMITTED?

Mosquitoes, and by extension MBDs, are considered a global threat. Mosquitoes aren’t just a problem in tropical areas; as climates are changing, mosquito territories have expanded.3

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports that populations of Aedes albopictus, an invasive species of mosquito known for carrying MBDs such as dengue, chikungunya, and zika viruses, became established in five new European countries and 223 regions between 2013 and 2023.12,13

Researchers predict that the trend of mosquito populations increasing, and thus MBD infections, will continue due to rising global temperatures, higher frequency of extreme weather events, and urban expansion.3

In 2025, Iceland experienced mosquitoes for the first time in its known history.14

MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES ARE PREVALENT IN PARTICULAR AREAS

There are over 3,500 types of mosquitoes around the world.4 Furthermore, different mosquito species carry and spread a range of diseases.1 Therefore, travellers may not be familiar with just how serious a mosquito bite can be when travelling abroad.

WHO IS AT RISK OF MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES?

Everybody visiting areas with endemic mosquito populations are at risk of MBDs.15 In addition to tourists, this includes expatriates, business travellers, study-abroad students, and people visiting family and relatives, even in their country of origin.1,6–9

2024 saw UK residents make 94.6 million visits abroad.16

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES

Get in-depth info on symptoms, diagnosis, disease protection and more.

MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Spot the signs that may indicate mosquito-borne diseases and learn more about their lasting effects.

MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES

DISEASE PROTECTION

Help protect your patients against the risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases.

Useful Links
References
  1. World Health Organization. Vector-borne diseases. September 2024. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases. Accessed: July 2026.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fighting the World’s Deadliest Animal. Global Health. February 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/global-health/impact/fighting-the-worlds-deadliest-animal.html. Accessed: July 2026.
  3. World Mosquito Program. Explainer: How climate change is amplifying mosquito-borne diseases. April 2022. Available at: https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/en/news-stories/stories/explainer-how-climate-change-amplifying-mosquito-borne-diseases. Accessed: July 2026.
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Mosquitoes. Mosquitoes. May 2024. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/index.html. Accessed: July 2026.
  5. World Mosquito Program. Mosquito-borne diseases. Available at: https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/en/learn/mosquito-borne-diseases. Accessed: July 2026.
  6. Kohanna FH. Seven Mosquito-borne Diseases that Threaten Business Traveler and Expatriate Safety. In: OnePetro; June 2016. Available at: https://onepetro.org/ASSPPDCE/proceedings-abstract/ASSE16/ASSE16/ASSE-16-639/77154. Accessed: July 2026.
  7. Chen LH, Leder K, Barbre KA, et al. Business travel-associated illness: a GeoSentinel analysis. J Travel Med. 2018;25(1).
  8. NaTHNaC Travel Health Pro. Travelling to visit friends and relatives. December 2024. Available at: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/91/travelling-to-visit-friends-and-relatives. Accessed: June 2026.
  9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Study Abroad and Other International Student Travel. Yellow Book. April 2025. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/travel-for-work-other/study-abroad.html. Accessed: June 2026.
  10. Jackman JA, Shi PY, Cho NJ. Targeting the Achilles Heel of Mosquito-Borne Viruses for Antiviral Therapy. ACS Infect Dis. 2019;5(1):4-8.
  11. NHS. Travel vaccinations. April 2026. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/available-travel-vaccines. Accessed: July 2026.
  12. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Increasing risk of mosquito-borne diseases in EU/EEA following spread of Aedes species. June 2023. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/increasing-risk-mosquito-borne-diseases-eueea-following-spread-aedes-species. Accessed: July 2026.
  13. World Health Organization. Chikungunya fact sheet. April 2025. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chikungunya. Accessed: July 2026.
  14. Horton H. Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time as climate crisis warms country. The Guardian. October 2025. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/21/mosquitoes-found-iceland-first-time-climate-crisis-warms-country. Accessed: July 2026.
  15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk Factors for Vector-Borne Diseases. Vector-Borne Diseases. January 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vector-borne-diseases/risk-factors/index.html. Accessed: July 2026.
  16. Office for National Statistics. Travel trends: 2024. August 2025. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/articles/traveltrends/2024. Accessed: July 2026.

UK-MBD-2600004 July 2026