Zika Virus spreading mosquitoes around Pécs?

A large number of mosquitoes have appeared around Pécs that could spread the Zika Virus or infectious encephalitis. A special research team at the University of Pécs examines how dangerous these insects can be. Their appearance in Hungary can also be related to climate change.

Belgium was the first European country where the Korean mosquitoes turned up. They appeared in Hungary last year and survived the winter colder than usual. In some parts of Pécs their number raised so much that 8 out of 10 captured mosquitoes belong to this species. The Korean mosquito can spread, among other serious illnesses, the Zika Virus. It can cause a developmental disorder in the fetus of pregnant mothers.

“You do not have to panic. So there is a mosquito. This is a very long process. It is a highly multifaceted process to make it a disease. The fact is that the mosquito is here. So we’ve got the first step, the mosquito is settled, and that, itself, means trouble,” explains Gábor Kemenesi, researcher of the Virology Research Group at the Szentágothai János Research Center.