Vector-borne diseases are those spread by mosquitoes, sand-flies, ticks and rodents. They include diseases such as dengue, West Nile and chikungunya fever, nephropathia epidemica and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), which all have the potential to cause outbreaks in parts of Europe. The outbreak of chikungunya fever in the area of Ravenna, Italy last summer is an illustration of this risk.
