It is important to protect yourself from mosquito bites when staying in the affected areas in order to prevent becoming infected with the virus. How can travelers prevent mosquito bites?
Following an outbreak of chikungunya in the area of Ravenna, Italy in Summer 2007 and the increasing presence of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in Europe, ECDC has prepared a Chikungunya Communications Toolkit. It provides template materials containing background information and practical advice on chikungunya prevention and control and is targeting the general public, travellers and health practitioners.
Since the 21 June, ECDC has published on its website weekly updates on spatial distribution of West Nile fever cases in the European Union and neighbouring countries.
As parts of Germany are considered potential colonization areas for A. albopictus, monitoring the trends of Chikungunya importation to Germany is a prerequisite for early detection of potential autochthonus cases.
In September 2010, two cases of autochthonous dengue fever were diagnosed in metropolitan France for the first time. The cases occurred in Nice, southeast France, where the vector Aedes albopictus is established.
Emerging and resurging vector-borne diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality, especially in the developing world. We focus on how advances in mapping, Geographic Information System, and Decision Support System technologies, and progress in spatial and space time modeling, can be harnessed to prevent and control these diseases.