How could Zika enter Europe?

Researchers at the Institut Pasteur have assessed the transmission potential of four populations of Aedes mosquitoes in circulation on the island of Madeira and southern France with a view to examining various possible scenarios for the introduction of Zika virus to Europe. Their work suggests that the Aedes aegypti mosquito present in Madeira is more likely to promote local transmission of Zika virus than Aedes albopictus. Consequently, it appears that the risk of a Zika epidemic in continental Europe is still low.

Zika is an arbovirus from the Flaviviridae family which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus. It has caused a number of epidemic outbreaks in the South Pacific islands since 2007 and spread to Brazil in 2015. The virus is now present in over 34 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean affecting over 1.5 million people. There has also been a sharp increase in the number of cases imported from the Americas to Europe. The Aedes albopictus mosquito, which is present in 20 European countries and 30 departments of France, is due to become active in May when weather conditions allow it to thrive. Therefore the risk of local transmission of Zika virus to Europe is genuine and the question of how it might be introduced to the continent still needs to be addressed.

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