Mosquitos have plagued a popular European tourist destination and caused an "unprecedented" home-grown dengue fever outbreak.
French scientists are currently battling to contain an outbreak of the infection in Provence, southern France, where around 47 people have caught the flu-like virus.
The outbreaks have been across five local transmission chains in France, surpassing the total number recorded in the country in the last decade.
The virus is spread by the Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, also known as Asian tiger mosquitoes, which are reportedly becoming more common in France as scientists predict that within four or five years they will be all over the country.
“It’s unprecedented. In the end, we’re likely to hit 60 cases", Grégory L’Ambert, an entomologist in charge of Asian tiger mosquito control in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur told the Telegraph.
According to the NHS, it is usually mild and passes after about a week without causing any lasting problems. But in rare cases, it can be very serious and potentially life-threatening.
There's no specific treatment or widely available vaccine for dengue, so it can be tricky to dodge mosquito bites if the Asian tigers are swarming en masse.
Experts said a usually warm summer caused by climate change and an increased level of trade and travel post-Covid likely contributed to the record numbers.
Dengue was likely imported by travellers, with symptoms including severe joint pain, headache, pain around the eyes, nausea and swollen glands.
Marie-Claire Paty, the coordinator of the monitoring of vector-borne diseases at Sante Publique France, the national health agency, told the Telegraph she is unsurprised at the news, given the continual spread of the mosquito and the resumption of travel after two years restricted by the Covid pandemic.
She continued: "And with a particularly favourable climate this summer, everything came together to see it rocket.”
The insect also spreads Zika and chikungunya.
Johanna Fite, head of vector-borne diseases at Anses, the national health agency, said to Le Monde that the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 will see a significant rise in population coming from countries "where dengue is endemic at the height of mosquito activity so the risks are high."
The Asian tiger has now been spotted in 30 European countries including Spain, Italy and Croatia.
According to research from Oxford university, it is moving around 93 miles north every year in Europe, and the UK Health Security Agency has spotted it six times in southeast England since 2016.
