ECDC maps show Aedes albopictus established in 384 EU/EEA regions by April 2026, up 14 units in a single year. Here is what that means for public health.
What the latest ECDC map actually records
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control publishes a mosquito map for Aedes albopictus, the tiger mosquito. The map dated 3 June 2026 records the known distribution in Europe as of April 2026, at regional administrative unit level. In the EU and EEA, ECDC reports that the species is established in 384 units across 16 countries. That is an expansion of 14 units compared with the June 2025 update, with gains in Bulgaria, France, Greece, Portugal and Romania. Outside the EU and EEA, new establishments appeared in four units, in Armenia and North Macedonia. ECDC notes that no new regional units recorded introductions in that period. The June 2025 update had recorded 369 established regions across 16 countries (ECDC).
A steady northward and westward expansion
This is not a sudden event. ECDC reported in June 2023 that the species was establishing itself further northwards and westwards across Europe. In 2013, it was established in 8 EU and EEA countries, covering 114 regions. By 2023, that had grown to 13 countries and 337 regions. The 2025 map described 369 regions in 16 countries after new establishments in Cyprus and Slovakia (ECDC). The 2026 count of 384 regions continues the same trend. ECDC links this to a warming trend, with more frequent heat waves and flooding, more severe weather, and longer, warmer summers. Those conditions favour invasive mosquito species. The 2023 news item also noted that summers are getting longer and warmer, creating more favourable conditions for invasive Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti across Europe.
Which countries carry the highest known burden
The 2026 map shows wide differences between countries. Italy reports establishment in all 107 of its regional units. Greece reports 48 of 52, Croatia 21 of 21, and Slovenia 12 of 12. France reports 83 of 101 units, Spain 33 of 59, and Portugal 5 of 26. Germany reports 12 of 38 and Austria 3 of 9. Bulgaria reports 26 of 28 and Romania 10 of 42. Hungary reports 17 of 20, Belgium 4 of 11, Malta 1 of 2, Cyprus 1 of 1, and Slovakia 1 of 8. These figures describe known establishment, not a measure of human risk in any single neighbourhood. Regional counts show known establishment only, and ECDC treats each unit as a record of presence rather than a graded estimate of transmission intensity or household exposure.
Why establishment matters for disease risk
Aedes albopictus is a known vector of chikungunya and dengue viruses. When a competent mosquito species becomes established, local transmission becomes possible if the virus is introduced by a traveller during the mosquito season. ECDC reported that in 2022 there were 71 cases of locally acquired dengue in mainland EU and EEA countries, with 65 in France and 6 in Spain. That equalled the total reported between 2010 and 2021. In the same year, EU and EEA countries reported 1 133 human cases of West Nile virus infection and 92 deaths, of which 1 112 were locally acquired in 11 countries. West Nile virus involves a different transmission cycle, and ECDC reports those cases separately from the dengue figures for locally acquired infection in mainland EU and EEA countries.
How the species spreads across borders
Kraemer and co-authors, writing in Nature Microbiology in 2019, used statistical mapping to show that human movement patterns explain the spread of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Europe and the United States after introduction. They estimated the spread of Aedes albopictus in Europe at about 100 kilometres per year, rising to about 150 kilometres per year over the five years before the study. Recent spread in Europe seems to have started in Italy. The Alps act as a dispersal barrier that lowers spread rates, but once that barrier is crossed, rates beyond the Alps match those in Italy. Short-range importation between adjacent districts mattered more for this species than for Aedes aegypti. The authors note that Aedes aegypti was more often imported over longer distances than Aedes albopictus, which spread mainly between neighbouring districts.
What future spread models suggest
The same study projected that Aedes albopictus would spread broadly throughout Europe, ultimately reaching wide areas of France and Germany. The authors expected 197 countries to report the species by 2080, with 20 of them reporting it for the first time. For Aedes aegypti, predicted expansion by 2050 would place an estimated 49.13 percent of the world population at risk of arbovirus transmission. The authors concluded that efforts to curb or reverse climate change are predicted to be insufficient to fully prevent the expansion of these vectors. They called for entomological surveillance around high-risk introduction routes, such as ports and highways, and for rapid response protocols for vector control. The study states that 197 countries are expected to report Aedes albopictus by 2080, with twenty of them recording the species for the first time.
Practical protection for readers and families
ECDC lists sustainable control measures as eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed, eco-friendly larvicides, and community awareness. For personal protection it lists bed nets, preferably insecticide-treated, sleeping or resting in screened or air-conditioned rooms, window screens, clothes that cover most of the body, and mosquito repellent. It adds that raising awareness among the general public, healthcare professionals and travellers is essential. Physical barriers work as real protection when they are correctly specified, intact and correctly used. If you live in or visit an area where the species is established, reduce standing water around your home and use several of these measures together during the mosquito season. Repellent helps reduce bites, but it does not replace removing standing water, screening rooms, and covering skin during the active mosquito season.
Sources
- Aedes albopictus - current known distribution: April 2026: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- Increasing risk of mosquito-borne diseases in EU/EEA following spread of Aedes species: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- Past and future spread of the arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus: Nature Microbiology (PubMed Central)
- Aedes albopictus - current known distribution: June 2025: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control