Over 30 cases of dengue fever have already been reported in Germany in 2024. The tiger mosquito that transmits the virus can now also be found in Germany.
Every year between 284 and 528 million people worldwide become infected with the virus. The disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) or the Asian tiger mosquito (aedes albopictus). This is due, among other things, to the effects of climate change, which is creating more favorable conditions for mosquitoes due to rising temperatures and heat waves. The WHO also warns about the virus and advises against travel to the tropics. The virus was only found in tropical and subtropical regions for a long time. However, in recent decades, it has spread geographically. The Asian tiger mosquito is now widespread in 13 EU countries (as of 2023), and according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the virus is not possible to transmit from person to person.