Mosquito threat to be combated in Spain

HEALTH officials have drawn up guidelines to improve surveillance of mosquitoes as Europe faces its biggest threat in over 50 years from the biting insects.

The measures have been put in place to monitor how they are spreading across the continent and the threats they pose, with dengue fever among the biggest concerns, according to experts.

The insects, including the Asian tiger mosquito, can carry up to 22 different viruses and have prompted the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to act for the first time since the threat of malaria in the mid-20th century.

Spain is not immune from the spread of tiger mosquitoes, which can be found in increasing numbers along the east coast and Mallorca.