“Europe is experiencing a warming trend with heat waves and floods becoming more common and severe, and longer and hotter summers. This creates more favourable conditions for invasive mosquito species”, warned the ECDC.

The ECDC has become aware of the spread across northern and western Europe of the Asian tiger mosquito, which carries the dengue and chikungunya viruses.

At the same time, over the last year, the species responsible for transmitting yellow fever, zika, chikungunya and the West Nile virus has established itself in Cyprus "and could spread to other European countries".

During the press conference, the director of the ECDC, Andrea Ammon, mentioned that the diseases transmitted by these insects are not the only concern: “There could be a disruption in blood stocks”.

Andrea Ammon explained that since the viruses that cause these diseases “can also be transmitted through blood if there is an outbreak in any city, there will naturally be a decrease in blood donations”.

She added that in recent years there has been an increase in the number of invasive mosquito species in regions.

Local authorities in every European country can prevent the spread of these mosquitoes by eliminating stagnant water sources they use for reproduction, using ecological pesticides to kill the larvae and alerting populations.